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3_r_Will4_
fearbartr €aUtst libracn
CHARLES JACKSON
(CUu of iSg»)
OF BOSTON'
KOR ENGLISH HISTORY AND
LITERATURE
1
i
SCOTTISH
NOTES AND QUERIES
SECOND SERIES
VOL VIII.
July, 1906, to June, 1907
JOHN BULLOCH
EDITOR
ABERDEEN
THE ROSEMOUNT PRESS
1907
Br Hf^JO
4
SECOND SERIES.
INDEX TO EIGHTH VOLUME.
" A Guid New Year to Ane an' A*," no
" A Happy English Child," loo
Abell, John, i68
Abercromby or Abercrombie, Patrick, ii8
Abercromby, David, M.D., ii8
Aberdeen- American Graduates, 55, 84, 145
Aberdeen, Arms of the City, 90, 109
Aberdeen Bibliography, Addenda to "Aberdeen
Printers," 125
Aberdeen Independent^ 98
Aberdeen and Inverness Mail Arrangements of
1822, 154
Aberdeen New Independent ^ or Literary and Political
Repository, 98
Aberdeen, Old Seal of, 62
Aberdeen Painters, 15
Aberdeen Tatler, 123
Aberdeen University, Quatercentenary Publications,
33
Aberdeen Waterman — A ** Trail," 154
Aberdeen, The Wells of, 87
Aberdonians Abroad : Henry Farquharson, 89, 103
Aberfoyle, Two Epitaphs at, 57
Adam, John, 119
Adamson, Archibald R., 119
Adie, Charles, D.D., 119
Adie, James, 1 19
Advertiser f 166
Agnew, Peter, 3
Aikenhead, James, 138
Aikman, William, X19, 172, 191
Airth, James, 119
Aitken, Edith, 91, in, 174
Aitken, Sir William, M.D., LL.D., 119
Alba, on Adam Donald, 28, 142
Adam King, 39
^— - A Glasgow Book, 28
Alba, *« A Happy English Child," 100
Alexander J. Warden, 45, 118
Alexander Whitelaw, 76
Andrew Bisset, 141
Anecdote of Napoleon, 26
Anthony Dunlop, 71
Buchanan Hospital, 14
Butler's Lobster Simile, 136
Captain Congalton, 67
*» Crawdoun,*' 28
D. M. Peter, 71
David Lindsay, 92
Drumquhassill, 141
— - Edith Aitken, 91
Eliza Inverarity, 65, 104
George Blair, M.A., 29
Gilbert Blackball, S.J., 54
Gilbert M. Gibson, 172
** Hail Smiling Morn," 143
Henry ^hanks, 45
Inedited Poems by Leyden, 21
Irishmen with Norman Names, 102
J. M. Logan, 172
James Clyde, LL.D., 28, 131
James Sinclair, Arboriculturist, 152
John Abell, 168
John Grant of Glengairn, 3
John Heiton, 62
Lawrences in Australia, 168
Lawrence Cockburn, 91
Madeline Smith, 115
Marshal Keith, 23
Moses Provan, 29, 142
Neil M*Alpine, 29
Old Parr, 153
Patrick Ged, M.D., 68
Peter Agnew, 3
Peter Paterson, 45
Ranald Rankin, 3
IV.
INDEX
Alba, Rats and Grapes, 97
Rev. William Leask, 26
" Rose Douglas," 140
** Rosy-fingered Morn," 6
** Sawney Beane," loi
Scotch Church, Erfurt, 74
" Scoto-Brittanicus," 140
Scottish Poets, 148
Simeon Grahame, 68
Sir Hugh Halcrow, 28
Some Galloway Macs, 27
" Standard Habbie," 157
The Clan Maclean, 42
•* The Silver Eel," 29
"The Spy," 8
The Stark Family, 6
The Surname Brodie, 46
Surtees Ballad Frauds, 86
" Thole and Think on," 45
William Mackay, 13
Alexander, Alexander Crichton (Rev.)f 120
Alexander, Charles, 120
Alexander Family, 85
Alexander, Rev. Thomas, 186
Alexander, Thomas (Rev.), 145
Aliquis, on Sir Hugh Halcrow, 63
The Gordons of Carroll, 158
Alison, John, 120
Allan, Archibald, 120
Allan, Daniel (Rev.), 55, 145
Allan, James, 120
Allan, James Steel, 120
Allan, Robert R., 120
Allan, Thomas R., 137
Allan, William, 137
Allan, Sir William, M.P., 137
Allardyce, John, 137
Amateur, on Hutton, Hepburn, Lidderdale, 31
Ancient Grave, 182
Anderson, Alexander, M.D., 138
Anderson, Alexander (Rev.), 137
Anderson Families in Aberdeenshire, 141, 174
Anderson, Joseph, LL.D., 137
Anderson, James, 137
Anderson, James (Rev.), 55, 137
Anderson, John, 137
Andersons of Mounie, 8
Andersons of Mudhouse, 54
Anderson, P. J., on Aberdeen Bibliography, Addenda
to "Aberdeen Printers," 125
Aberdonians Abroad : Henry Farquharson, 89
Royal Visits to Aberdeen, Address to Charles
H., 25
The Wells of Aberdeen, 87
Anderson, William, 138
Anderson, William, Hon., J. P., 138
Angus, Alexander, 138
Angus, James, 138
Angus, WiUiam Cargill, 138
Annan, Robert, 138
Anthology, English County, 94, 173
Arbuthnot, Alexander, 139, 149
Archangel, Father, 97
Archer, David Wallace, 139
Archer, William, 139
Argyleshire, Notable Men and Women of, 4
Arnott, Neil, M.D., 139
Arrott, David, M.D., 139
Auchterlonie, Douglas K. (Rev.), 139
B
B., on Gordon House, Kentish Town, 174
B., D., on Anderson Families in Aberdeenshire, 174
Balfour, Alex., 139
Balfour, Charles, 139
Balfour, Edward Green, M.D., 140
Balfour, Robert, 146
Balfour, Sir George, M. P. , 140
Balfour, William Douglas, 146
Balfour, William Lawson, 146
Ballad on the Battle of Bannockburn, 15
Balmyle or Balmule, Nicholas de, 187
Bannatyne, George, 146
Bannatyne, James, T47
Bannatyne, Thomas, Lord Newtyle, 147
Barclay, David, 147
Barclay, John (Rev.), 55
Barclay, Robert, 147, 162
Barclay of Urie, 129, 142
Barclay, William, 147
Barrie, James Matthew, LL.D., 162
Barry, P., 162
Barty, James Strachan, D.D., 162
Battles of Preston, Falkirk, and CuUoden 10
Baxter, David (Sir), 163
Baxter, Edmund, 163
Baxter, Edward, 163
Baxter, Francis Willoughby, 163
Baxter, John Boyd, LL.D., 163
Baxter, William Edward (Rt Hon., M.P., P.C.). 16^
Bean, Margaret, 163 / o
Beattie, David Alexander, 186
Begg, Peter, 186
**Beinn lutharn Mhor," and "Beag," Oricxin of
Names, 62, 80 **
Bell, Patrick, LL.D., 186
Bennett, David, 187
Bernardus Paludanus, 29
" Beside the Bonnie Briar Bush," no
Bethune, Dr. George Washington, no, 127 leg
Bibliography of Aberdeen Periodicals, 8. 08 12^ t-^c
188, 189 ^ •^-'a. 125.
Bibliography of Clan Literature, 183
Bibliography of Edinburgh Periodical Literature
10, 35, 72, 107, 121, 150, 166, 179
Bibliography of Montrose Periodical Literature 77
Bibliography of Perth, 164 * ''
Bibliography of Works on Stewart and Stuart
ramiltes, 113, 171
Birrell, Mary, 187
Birrell, W. M. Dundas, 187
Birse, David, 187
Bisset, Andrew, 141, 175
Bissett, Thomas, 187
Black, David DsUcers, 187
<
INDEX
V.
Black, James, 187
Blackhall, Gilbert, S.J., 54
Blackwood's Magazine ^ 127, 142
Blair, David, J. P., 187
Blair, George, M.A., 29, 47, 64, 79
Blair, Patrick, M.D., 187
Blyth, David, 188
Bodie, The Name, 94
Boece or Boyce, Hector, 188
Boece or Boyce, Arthur, 188
Bon- Accord Buyer^s Guide: Aberdeen's Monthly
Magazine ^ 123, 188
** Bonnie Dundee," Parody of, 14, 29
Bonnington, 192
Bonnington, The Place-name, 173
Bonnington, Woods of, 53
Border Haswells, 14
" Borderer," on Dippie Family, 173
Borestone, The, a ** Boar Stone," 22
Boyd, William, D.D., 5
Bremner, George St. J., on Another ** Wicked "
Bible, 182
on Butler's ** Lobster" Simile, 183
on Scottish Poets, 178
Brichan, J. (Rev.), Botanist, 13, 31
Bridge of Balgownie, 173
Brodie and Hoare Families, 57
Brodie, Michie, and Gauld Families, 59, 66, 161
Brodie, The Surname, 46
Brodies, Lawrances, and Murdochs in 1745, 103
Brompton Oratory Design, 78, 96
" Brown's Deeside Guide," 22
Brown, Provost, of Aberdeen, 30
Brown, Provost, of Aberdeen, and the Edinburgh
Weekly youmal, 16
Buchan Farm, Rhynie, 131
Buchanan Hospital, 14, 47
B., J. M., on An Act Naturalizing a Gordon, 23
Adam Gordon, Navy Surgeon, 126
Alexander Family, 85
Alexander Gordon of Carnousie, 143
Alexander Gordon, Executed at Brest, 102
Cabrach Gordons, 21
Captain George Gordon, R.N., 126
Captain William Gordon, Minmore, 172
Chaplain Gordon of Verdun, 173
Fetterangus, 78
— • — George Gordon, 8th West India Regiment, 172
Gordon- Anderson Marriage, 126
Gordon House Academy, Kentish Town,
London, 91
Gordon of Kildrummy, 13
Huntly in Bombay, 158
John Gordon, Schoolmaster, Belhelvie, 13
Joseph Gordon, 142
Lieut. George Gordon, 92nd Highlanders, 172
— Longmore Family, 126
Miss Gordon, Ruby Cottage, 157
Mr. Sheriff Gordon, 172
Mrs. Gordon of Craig, no
Priest Gordon, 62
Robert Gordon of Xeres de la Frontera, 92
Rev. William Duncan, 13
B., J. M., Scots Episcopacy, 157
Sir Cosmo Gordon, 126
The Cummings of Culter, 157
Brompton Oratory Design, 78
The First Gordons of Ellon, 164
The Inglis Family, 126
Thomas Duncan Gordon, 172
Burke's '* Landed Gentry," 62, 80
Burnet Bursaries of Aberdeen, 109
Burnett, James, 147
Burns' Daughter, Gift to, 71
Butler's Lobster Simile, 136
Byron and the Plains of Marathon, 77, 95
C, W. J. on A Scots Review^ 78
on the Murder of Two Sons of Gordon of
Ellon, 78
Provost Brown of Aberdeen, 30
Cabrach, Character of, 85
Caddell, alias MacPherson, 126, 159, 190
Caledonicui Gazetteer, 179
Caledonian Mercury , 72, 107
Campbell, Peter Colin, D.D., 57
Cant Family, 24, 58, 67, 125
Cardno Family, 140, 174, 190
Caw, George, Printer, Hawick, 92, in
Challenge Bugle, Sir James Horn Burnett's, 95
Challenge, Burgh, Sir James Horn Burnett's, 77
Chameleon t 188
Chappie, on Andrew Bisset, 175
Moses Provan, 48
Cheyne, George. (Rev.), 146
Christian Monthly History, 121
Church Tokens, 34
Citizen, 122
Clark, Daniel (Rev.), 55, 145
Clan Maclean, 79
Clericus, on Curious Figures on a Tombstone, 47
Tinder Boxes in Church, 157
Clyde, James, LL.D., 63, 79, 131, 28
** Cockabendy," The Words of, 173
Cockburn Lawrence, 91
Cockburn, H. A., on Jardine, Rannie, Dundas, 126
Cockburnspath, 13, 31
Colvile, Robert, 15
Congalton, Captain, 67
Connell, Alexander (Rev.), B.D., 5
Corson, Cone, on The Lords Forbes, and the
'* Bush of Kaitness," 79
Two, Aberfoyle Epitaphs, 57
Couper, Sydney C, on Origin of Names, "Beinn
lutharn Mhor," and '* Beag," 62
Couper, W. J., on Bibliography of Edinburgh
Periodical Literature, 10, 35, 72, 107, 121,
150, 166, 181
** Coxswain, Johnnie," 92, in
Cramond, W., LL.D., on a Forgotten Tragedy in
Gamrie, 169
Publications by the late, 154
" Crawdoun," 28
Cruden, Author of the Concordance, 173, 192
VI.
INDEX
Cudbear, 26
Cummings of Culter, 157, 191
Curious Figures on a Tombstone, 14, 47
D
D., J., on Aberdeen American-Graduates, 84
Dean, The (or Den), 192
Dean, The Place Name, 173
Dippie Family, 173
Donald, Adam, 28, 471 63, 142
Dorian Way, The, 186
Drum used at Harlaw, 157
Drumquhassill, 141, 159
Duflf Family, 127, 144
Dunbar, Mariota, 15
Duncan, William (Rev.), 13
Dunlop, Anthony, 71
Ed., on " Parody of Bonnie Dundee," 14
Edinburgh Advertiser ^ 150
Edinburgh Evening Courant, 35
Edinburgh Gazette or Scots Postman^ 10
Edinburgh Magazine ^ 121
Edinburgh Repository, 179
Edinburgh Town Council Minutes, Extracts from,
164
Erfurt, Scotch Church, 74
•* Esconse," the word, 78, 96
Evan Odd, on Alexander Arbuthnot, 149
Blackwood's Magazine, 127
Extracts from Edinburgh Town Council
Minutes, 164
Moses Pro van, 48, 64
The Birthplace of George Ridpath, 100
F., J., on Aberdonians Abroad, Henry Farquharson,
103
on John Grant of Glengairn, 3
Farquhar, William (Author), 46
Farquhars in Longside, Aberdeenshire, 45
Farquharson, Henry, 124
Ferguson, William, on the Name McKelvie, 62
Ferguson, William. Rev., 146
Fetterangus, 78, 96
Fife Pictures, 164
Folk- Lore of Baptism, 61
Forbes Family, 53
Forbes Letter, A, i
Forbes of Pitsligo, The Heir Male of the Lords, 104
Forbes, The Lords, and the " Bush of Kaitness," 79
Forfarshire, 71, 88
Forfisirshire as a Factor in Scottish Life and Thought,
17, 41, 50, 69, 81, 88, 99, 105
Forfarshire, Notable Men and Women of, 118, 137,
146
Foxes Eating Fruit, i
Freeholder and The Weekly Packet, 11
Freemasonry Terms, ^9
Frost, W., J., on Cockburnspath, 13
G
G., M., on Latervandeck, 189
on Caddell, alias MacPherson, 190
Gale, Alexander (Rev.), 145
Gait Family, 148
Gammack, James, LL.D., on Aberdeen- American
Graduates, 55, 145
Dr. George Washington Bethune, 158
George Blair, M.A., 47
Lunan Families, 174
Scottish Saints and Kalendars, 149
Gamrie, Forgotten Tragedy in, 169
Garden, Wm., M.A., 178
Ged, Patrick, M.A., 68
Gentlenun aud Ladies'' Weekly Magazine , 179
Geological Note, 136
Gibson, Gilbert M., 172
Glasgow, 64
Glasgow Bank, A, 28
Glencoe Massacre Relic, 133
Gordon, Act Naturalizing a, 23
Gordon, Adam, Navy Surgeon, 126
Gordon, Alexander of Carnousie, 126, 143
Gordon, Alexander, Executed at Brest, 102
Gordon, Alexander Sinclair, Volunteer Enthusiast, 85
Gordon, Anderson, Marriage, 126, 159
Gordon as a Place- Name in London, 153
Gordons of Auchinreath, 124
Gordon, Barbara (Mrs. Farquhar), 47
Gordon Book Plates, 40
Gordons, Cabrach, 21
Gordon, Captain George, R.N., 126, 158.
Gordon, Captain George, R.N., of Greenhaugh, 174
Gordon, Captain William, Minmore, 172
Gordons of Carroll, no, 158
Gordon of Craig, Mrs., 158 .
Gordon of Ellon, Murder of his Two Sons, 53, 78,
96
Gordon, Garmouth, 93
Gordon, George, Lieutenant, 92nd Highlanders, 172
Gordon, George, 8th West India Regiment, 172
Gordon, Henry (Rev.), 55, 145
Gordon House Academy, Kentish Town, London,
91, no, 173
Gordon, Joseph, 142
Gordon, John, Schoolmaster, Belhelvie, 13
Gordon, Joseph, 175
Gordon of Kildrummy, 13
Gordons of Manar, 189
Gordons of Minmore, 85
Gordon, Miss, Ruby Cottage, 157, 175, 191
Gordon, Mr. Sheriff, 172
Gordon, Mrs., of Craig, no
Gordon, Priest, 63, 80
Gordon, Robert, of Xeres de la Frontera, 92, in
Gordon, Sir Cosmo, 126, 158
Gordon, Sir J. Willoughby, 163
Gordons, The First of Ellon, 164
Gordon, Thomas Duncan, 172
Gordon of Verdun, Chaplain, 173
Gordon's College Former Pupils* Association, 123
Grace before Meat, 28, 63
:^.V.
INDEX
vi>.
Grahame, Simeon, 68
Grammar Schools, 12, 30
Grants oi Auchannachy, 92
Grant, Dr. Peter, 142, 175
Grant, Forsyth (Lieutenant), 31
Grant, James, on Alexander Gordon of Carnousie,
143
Grant, James, on Duff Family, 144
Grant, John, of Glengairn, 3
Grant, M., on Dr. Peter Grant, 142
Grant, Patrick, Lord Elchies, 142, 175, 190
Grants of Auchannachy, iii
Gray, Family of, 150
H
H. , G. , on Patrick Grant, Lord Elchies, 175
on the Cummings of Cult^r, 191
on Scots Episcopacy, 191
H., J., on Dr. Peter Grant, 175
on Huntly in Bombay, 191
Haigs of Bemersyde, 12, 46, 63
•* Hail Smiling Morn," 143
Halcrovv, Sir Hugh, 28, 63
Harvey, William, on ** A Guid New Year to Ane an'
A*," no
" Beside the Bonnie Briar Bush," no
Dr, George Bethune, 110
Hay of Monkton, 14
Heiton, John, 62, 80
Herald, James (Rev.), 145
Herald, John (Rev.), 56
Highland Independent Companies, The, no, 158
Hill, Loudon, on Alexander Gordon of Carnousie, 126
Hutton, Hepburn, Lidderdale, 13, 31, 47
Huntly in Bombay, 191
I
Inglis Family, 126, 158
Inglis, William Maxwell (Rev.), 56
Inverarity, Eliza, 65, 104
Irishmen with Norman Names, X02
J., W., on Bibliography of Aberdeen Periodicals,
189
J., J., on Cardno Family, 174
Jardine, Rannie, Dundas, 126, 159
John's Coffee House, Edinburgh, 173, 192
Journey from Edinburgh to London, 1757, 74
K
K., on The Name Keiller, 172
Keiller, The Name, 172
Keith, Marshal, 23
King, Adam, 39
Kirk, Jonet, 15
L,a Norda Stela^ 99
Lamb, J. J. W., on Still Room, 85
Lamont, Norman, M.P., 5
Lanark Lanimer Day, 14
Latervandeck, 189
Laundry Bill of the i8th Century, 76
Law, George (Rev.), 55
I Lawrance Family, Traditions Relating to, 84
Lawrance and Lawrence Families in Aberdeenshire,
1696, 116, 134
Lawrances of Pitscow, Kininmonth, 78
Lawrance Subscriber to James Fordyce's Hymns,
no
Lawrance's (Thomas) Mortification, 78
Lawrances in Usan, 13, 47, 79
Lawrence and Mackintosh Families, 158
Lawrences in Australia, 168
Leading Apes, 29
Leask, William (Rev.), 26
Leighton, J. F., on Forfarshire as a Factor in
Scottish Life and Thought, 88, 99
Leighton, J. E., on Wm. Aikman
Leslie, Archibald, on Northern Fencibles, 84
Leyden, Inedited Poems by, 21, 60, 77, 85
Lindsay, David, 92, ni
Lindsay's Record Time Tables, 188
Linton, W. I., Origin of, 46
Literature— A Jacobite Stronghold of the Church,
by Mary E. Ingram, 112
History of the Family of Cairnes or Cairns and
its connections, by H. C. Lawlor, i6o
Inverness in the Fifteenth Century, by Evan
M. Barron, 16
Mary Queen of Scots, with Pictures in Colour
by James Orrock, R.I., and Sir James
Linton, R.I. The Story by Walter Wood,
128
Official Guide to the Abbey-Church, Palace,
and Environs of Holyroodhouse, by the
Right Hon. Sir Herbert Maxwell, 32
Parish of Cairnie, by Chief Constable James
Pirie, 144
Preliminary and Intermediate Arithmetic, by
W. Stewart Thomson, M.A., 176
Scottish Clans and their Tartans, with Notes,
published by W. and A. K. Johnston, 16
Scottish Heraldry, Books on, by Mr. G. Harvey
Johnston, 32
Sculptured Stone of Aberlemno, by John
Milne, LL.D., 32
Livingston, Sir James, 189
Logan, J. M., 172
Longmore Family, 126, 158, 174, 189
Lunan Families, 141, 174
M
M., A., on '* Esconse," 78
on Nineteen Years' Leases, 189
Parish of Cairnie, 144
William Aikman, 172
M., A. M., Duff Family, 127, 144
McKelvie or Mcllvain, 143
Mackintoshes in Glenshee : McCombie Family, 7
• ••
Vlll.
INDEX
M., J., on The Murder of two sons of Gordon of
Ellon, g6
M., J. F., on Joseph Gordon, 175
on Miss Gordon, Ruby Cottage, 191
M., W. M., on Prince Charlie's Persian Horse, 93
McG., J., on What is a ** Tap ** or " Tapion ? " 13
on Patrick Grant, Lord Elchies, 190
McW., H. D., on A Forbes Letter, i
on Shank House, 189
on Sir Alex. Ramsay, 189
on Sir James Livingston, 189
Caddell, alias MacPherson, 126
Gordons of Auchinreath, 124
John's Coffee House, Edinburgh, 173
McPherson, alias McWillie, 46
Macpherson Letters, 2, 75, 105, 165
Professor John Stewart and his pupil William
Grant, 49
The Burnet Bursaries of Aberdeen, 109
The Grants of Auchannachy, 92
The Heir l\^ale of the Lords Forbes of Pitsligo,
104
The Highland Independent Companies, zzo
The Name McKelvie, 127
The Place-Name Bonnington, 173
The Place- Name Dean, 173
Mc Alpine, Neil, 29, 48
McKelvie or Mcllvain, 143
McKelvie, The Name, 62, 80, 127
McKenzie, John (Rev.), 56
McKay, Alexander (Rev.), 55
McKid, Alexander (Rev.), 55, 145
McNaughton, Peter (Rev.), 56
Macphail, Myles, 182
McPherson, Thomas (Rev.), 56, 145
McPherson, alias McWillie, 46
Mair, James (Rev.), 55
Mann, Alexander (Rev.), 55
Macdonald, A., on Bernardus Paludanus, 79
MacDougall, Duncan (Rev.), 6
MacDougall, John, 6
Mackay, William, 13, 47
Mackay, Y, 151
Mackie Marriage, A, 126, 143
Mackintoshes of Cammis, 7
Mackintoshes of Dalmunzie, 7
Mackintoshes in Glenshee : McCombie Family, 7
Mackintoshes of the Tom or Thom, 7
Maclean, The Clan, 45
Macleay, Kenneth, R.S.A.,6
MacLeod, W., on Drumquhassill, 159
Macpherson Letters, 2, 75, 105, 165
Macs, Some Galloway, 27
Mann, Alexander (Rev.), 145
Marischal College Beliry, 177
Masson, William (Rev.), 55, 145
Mercer, General Hugh, 140
Michie, Charles, on Brodie, Michie, and Gauld
Families, 161
Millar, A. H., on A. J. Warden, 64
Milne, John, LL.D., on Aberdeen Arms, 109
Aberdeen Waterman, a "Trail," 154
Ancient Grave, 182
Milne, John, LL.D., on Arms of the City of Aber-
deen, 90
Cruden, Author of the Concordance, 173
Curious Figures on a Tombstone, 14
Foxes Eating Fruit, i
Geological Note, 136
Musical Terms— " Treble," " Bimull-Clieff,**
141, 160
Old Seal of Aberdeen, 62
The Bridge of Balgownie, 173
The Murder of Two Sons of Gordon of Ellon, 53
The Still Room, 45, no
Y Mackay, 151
Freemasonry Terms, 39
on Cardno Family, 190
on The Dorian Way, 186
Mirror^ 180
Mitchell-Gill, A. J.,, on Miss Gordon of Ruby
Cottage, 175
Moncrief, John, of Tippermalloch, 172
Murdoch, James, Author, 29, 48, 1 10
Murdoch, Robert, on A Buchan Farm Rhyme, 131
on Bibliography of Clan Literature, 183
on English County Anthology, 189
on Longmore Family, 189
Aberdeen and Inverness Mail Arrangements of
1822, 154
Bibliography of Aberdeen Periodicals, 98
Bibliography of Aberdeen Periodicals : Reports,
8, 123
Bibliography of Montrose Periodical Literature,
77
A Bibliography of the Works on the Stewart
and Stuart Families, 113, 171
Barclay of Ury, 29, 142
Books on Scottish Heraldry, 32
Brodies, Lawrances, and Murdochs in 1745, 103
Brodie and Hoare Families, 57
Brodie, Michie, and Gauld Families, 59, 66
Bvron and the Plain of Marathon, 77
Church Tokens, 34
Drum used at Harlaw, 157
English County Anthology, 94, 173
Farquhars in Longside, Aberdeenshire, 45
Folk-Lore of Baptism, 61
General Hugh Mercer, 140
Gift to Burns' Daughter, 71
' Glencoe Massacre Relic, 133
Gordon Book- Plates, 40
Grace before Meat, 28
The Haigs of Bemersydc, 12, 63
James Murdoch, Author, 29
Lanark Lanimer Day, 14
Lawrance and Lawrence Families in Aberdeen-
shire, 116, 134
Lawrances of Pitscow, Kininmonth, 78
Lawrance Subscribers to James Fordyce's
Hymns, no
Lawrances in Usan, 13
Lawrence and Mackintosh Families, 158
Leading Apes, 29
Rh}mie on Gold, 104
Rhyme on Snuff, 77
INDEX
IX.
Murdoch, Robt.»on St. Mary's Chapel, Aberdeen, 62
Scotsmen in the Russian Navy, 40
Scott and Urauhart Families, 136
Shaws of Rotniemurchus, 157
Sir James Horn Burnett's Challenge Bugle, 77
Sir J. Willoughby Gordon, 163
The Name Bodie, 94
The Woods of Bonnington, 53
The Words of " Cockabendy," 173
Thomas Lawrence's Mortification, 78
Tinder Boxes in Church, 126
Traditions relating to the Lawrance Family, 84
"Verses on Two Babes," 12, 31
W. J. Linton's Origin, 46
William Farquhar, Author, 46
Musical Terms— "Treble," "BimuU-Clieff," 141, 160
N
Napoleon, Anecdote of, 26
Nineteen Years' Leases, 189
North TatUr, 10
Northern Fencibles, 77, 84
North Magaxine, 188
Notably Men and Women of Forfarshire, 118, 137,
147, 162, 186
New Spalding Club: Annual Reports by the
Council, 9
Normal Standard, 123
" Out of the Mouth of Babes," 76
P., H. A., on The Dean, 192
P., P. B., on Grammar Schools, 12
Peden, Robert (Rev.), 56
Paludanus Bernardus, 48
Parr, Old, 153
Paterson, Peter, 45, 79
•* Patriotism " in 1778, 74
Paul, Robert, on Blackwood's Magazine, 142
Dr. George Bethune, 128
Perplexity, on Subject Superiors Wanted, 15
Peter, D. M., 71
Peter, Mr. D. McGregor, 94
Pitman, H. A., on Ramsay of Abbotshall and
Waughton, 92
Place-Names, Dialects, and Folk-lore of the North
of Scotland, 61
Place- Name Psalm Tunes, The Origin of, 150
" Pony," The Word, 156, 190
Pretender, The Old, 172
Prince Charlie's Persian Horse, 93, 112
Bn>phecy, A Curious, Fulfilled, 91
Proud Parent, on " Out of the Month of Babes," 76
Provan, Moses, 29, 48, 64, 142
R., D., on John Moncrief of Tippermalloch, 172
R., J. G., on The Grants of Auchannachy, m
R., S., on Gordon, Garmouth, 93
Rainy, Genealogy of Principal, 124
Ramsay of Abbotshall and Waughton, 92, in
Ramsay, Sir Alex., 189
Rankin, Ranald, 3
Rannie, John (Rev.), 56, 146
Rats and Grapes, 97
Rebel of 1745, 171
Reid, Alan, on The Cant Family, 67
on the Dean (or Den), 192
on Bonnington, 192
on Cruden, author of the Concordance, 192
on John's Coffee House, 192
on Wm. Aikman, 191
"Coxswain Johnnie," 92
Forfarshire, 71
Henry Shanks, 79
Lawrances in Usan, 79
Leyden's Poems, 77
Mr. D. Macgregor Peter, 94
Rhyme on Snuff, 95
"Rosy-fingered Morn," 77
Rhyme on Gold, 104
Rhyme on Snuff, 77, 95, no
Ridpath, George, The Birthplace of, 100, 132
Robertson, R., on James Murdoch, Author, no
"Rose Douglas," 140, 159
Rose and Heart, 99
Ross, Alexander (Rev.), 56
Ross, Calder, on James Watson's "History ot
Printing," 126, 144
James Watson, Printer, Edinburgh, 141
Ross, James (Rev.), 56
Ross, Walter R. (Rev.), 56
Ross-shire, on The Gardens of Carroll, no
"Rosy-fingered Morn," 6, 77, 95
Royal Visits to Aberdeen : Address to Charles H., 25
Ruddiman^s Weekly Mercury, 179
S., on Ballad on the Battle of Bannockburn, 15
Battles of Preston, Falkirk, and Culloden, 30
Buchanan Hospital, 47
B3rron and the Plains of Marathon, 95
Captain George Gordon, R.N., 158
' Clan Maclean, 79
- Caddell (? Calder), alias MacPherson, 159
- *• Coxswain, Johnnie," in
- David Lindsay, in
- Gordon-Anderson Marriage, 159
- Grace before Meat, 63
- Henry Shanks, 79
- Hutton, Hepburn, Liddersdale, 47
- Inglis Family, 158
- Jardine, Rannie, Dundas, 159
- James Watson, Printer, Edinburgh, 175
- John Heiton, 80
- Jonet Kirk, 15
1
X.
INDEX
S., on Lawrances in Usan, 47
Lieutenant Alexander Stuart, 15
Longmore Family, 158
Mrs. Gordon of Craig, 158
Neil McAlpine, 48
Peter Paterson, 79
Priest Gordon, 80
Robert Colvile, 15
The Highland Independent Companies, 158
What is a ** Tap '* or " Tapion " ? 47
William Mackay, 47
A Scots Review, 96
S., W., on Adam Donald, 63
on the word Pony, 190
Bernardus Paludanus, 48
Burke's " Landed Gentry," 80
Cockburnspath, 31
Drumquhassill, 159
George Blair, M.A., 64
George Caw, Printer, Hawick, 11 1
Glasgow Book, 64
Grammar Schools, 30
James Clyde, LL.D.,64 79
Lieutenant Forsyth Grant, 3 1
Prince Charlie's Persian Horse, 112
" Rose Douglas,'' 159
" Rosy.fingered Morn," 95
** Sawney Beane," 129
Sir Cosmo Gordon, 158
The Birthplace of George Ridpath 132
The Grants of Auchannachy, 11 1
The Haigs of Bemersyde, 46
The '* Standard Habbie," 176
Saunders, W., on Burke's Landed Gentry, b2
Still Room, 54 ,
on The Cant Family, 24, 58
** Sawney Beane," loi, 129
Scots Episcopacy, 191
Scot, The, and his Regiments, 125
Scott and Urquhart Families, 136
Scoto-Britannicus, 140, 159
Scots Episcopacy, 157
ScoU RevieWy 78, 96
Scotsmen in the Russian Navy, 40
Scottish Poets, 148
Scottish Saints at Kalendars, 149
Senex on Rhyme on Snuff, 95
Shanks, Henry, 45, 79, 95
Shank House, near Edinburgh, 189
Shaw, John, 4
Shaws of Rothiemurchus, 157
Simpson, Henry, on A Rebel of 1745, 171
Sinclair, James, Arboriculturist, 152
Sintun, James, on George Caw, Printer, Hawick, 92
Leyden's Poems, 85
Some of Dr. John Leyden's Inedited Poems, 60
Skelton, C. O., on Captain George Gordon, R.N.,
of Greenhaugh, 174
The Forbes Family, 53
Smellie, George (Rev.), 56, 146
Smith, Archibald, M.D., 4
Smith, Donald, M.D., 4
Smith, James, on Volunteer Officers, 1794- 1808, 30
Smith John, D.D., 4
Smith, John (Rev.), 56
Smith, Madeline, 115, 136, 147
Spaldirfg Club, New, 147
Spalding Club Reports, 8
Spark, Alexander, D.D., 56
Spence, Alexander, D.D., 57, 146
St, George' s-iu'the- West Parish Churcht Congregation
Ret*ortf 9
S. Mary's Chapel, Aberdeen, 62
Stand Sure, on The Origin of Place-Name Psalm
Tunes, 150
** Standard Habbie," 157, 175, 191
Stark Family, The, 6
Stephen, Dr., Botanist, 13, 32
Stewart, Catherine Maxwell, 4
Stewart, Charles, D.D., 4
Stewart, John (Professor), and his Pupil William
Grant, 49
Stewart, Major-General Robert, 5
Stewart, Christina Brooke, 5
Stewart, Mary, 4
Stewart or Stuart Family, 30
Still Room, 45, 54, 68, 85, no.
Stone Coffin found at Leslie, 88
Stuart, Alexander (Lieutenant), 15
Stuart, Sir John, 4
Subject Superiors Wanted, 15
Surtees Ballad Frauds, 86
T., J. B., on Bibliography of Pprth, 164
Dr. George Bethune, 127
T., J. W. H., on Dr. Stephen, BoUnist, 13
Rev. J. Brichan, Botanist, 13
T., W. L., on Adam Donald, 47
•* Tap" or " Tapion " ? What is a, 13, 47
Tatler, 10
Tawse, John (Rev.), 146
" The Silver Eel," 29
" The Spy," 8
Thomson, Cecil McNeil, Mrs. Sword, 5
Thomson, George (Rev.), 146
Thomson or Thompson, George (Rev.), 57
" Thole and Think on," 45, 79
Tinder Boxes in Church, ia6, 159
Tingle, Alfred, B.Sc, 57
Touche, formerly Touch, George A., on Early
Volunteering in Aberdeen, 12
Tron Church and Parish of Edinburgh, Proposed
History of, 22
Turner, Lieut. -General Charles, 5
Turreff, Gavin, 188
U
Ugieside, on Still Room, 68
Urquhart, Hugh, D.D., 146
v., Q., on The Word "Pony," 156
** Verses on Two Babes," 12, 31
INDEX
XI.
Volunteer Officers of 1794-1808, 14, 30
Volunteering, Early, in Aberdeen, 12
w
W., on Aberdeen Painters, 15
Anderson Families in Aberdeenshire, 141
Barbara Gordon (Mrs. Farquhar), 47
Border Has wells, 14
Brompton Oratory Design, 96
— Dr. Stephen, Botanist, 32
Edith Aitken, in, 174
— Fetterangus, 96
Gordon House Academy, Kentish Town, Lon-
don, no
Hay of Monkton, 14
James Murdoch (Author), 48
— Origin of the Names *' Beinn lutharn Mhor "
and " Beag," 80
Ramsay of Abbotshall and Waughton, ni
Rev. J. Brichan, Botanist, 31
Robert Gordon of Xeres de la Frontera, n i
Sir James Horn Burnett*s Challenge Bugle, 95
Stewart or Stuart Family, 30
— The Name McKelvie, 80
The Word " Esconse," 96
'* Thole and Think on," 79
Volunteer Officers of 1794- 1808, 14
\V., G., on A Mackie Marriage, 143
on The ** Standard Habbie,*' 191
Drumquhassill, 159
- — Rhyme on Snuff, no
\V.. J. M. A., on Cardno Family, 141
Lunan Families, 141
— — Mariota Dunbar, 15 •
W., W. B. R., on Forfarshire, 88
Forfarshire as a Factor in Scottish Life and
Thought, 17, 41, 50, 69, 81, 99, 105
James Clyde, LL. D. , 63
The Word *' Esconse," 96
— The *' Standard Habbie," 175
Walker, George, on Provost Brown of Aberdeen and
the Edinburgh Weekly Journal^ 16
Ward, Colonel Sir Edward, 6
Warden, A. J., 45, 64, 118
Watson, James, History of Printing by, Edinburgh,
1713, 126, 144
Watson, James, Printer, Edinburgh, 141, 175
Weekly journal, 122
Weekly Magazine^ or, Edinburgh Amusement, 166
Whitelaw, Alexander, 76
Whyte, Christina, 5
"Wicked Bible," Another, 182
Wienholt, Mrs. E. C, on Hutton, Hepburn, Lidder-
dale, 13
Wilson, James, M.A. (Rev.), 146
Wilson, Robert, M.D., 5
Wilson, W. B. R., on Notable Men and Women of
Argyleshire, 4
Notable Men and Women of Forfarshire, 118,
137, 146, 162, 186
X., on Madeline Smith, 136
v., J., on Longmore Family, 174
Y., R., on Lunan Families, 174
Yeats, John, on Parody of " Bonnie Dundee," 29
SCOTTISH
NOTES AND QUERIES
Vol. VIII. "1 ISJr^ t
2nd SERresJ ^^^' ^^
July, 1906.
itSQISTEKBP
{
Priob 3d.
Per Post 4d.
CONTENTS.
NivPKS:—
PA0£
A Korbes Letter J
Macphenon Letters. II 2
NotHble Men and Women of Arjryleshire J
StarkFamily • g
Mackint<»8he8 In Ulenahee ; McCombie Family 7
Bibliography of Aberdeen Periodicals : Reporw 8
A Bibliogmphy of Edinburgh Periodical Literature 10
Early Volunteering In Aberdeen 12
Minor Notjis:—
Foxes Eating Fruit • • • ^
Ranald Rankin— John Grant of Gleugairn— Peter
Agnew ^
" Rosy-flngcred Mom " J
"The Spy *— The Andersons of Mounle 8
The Scots Name of Touch 12
QOERIRS :—
Grammar Schools— The Halga of Beniersyde- Verses
on Two Babes 12
Rey. William Duncan-J^ohn Gordon, Schoolmaster,
Belhel vie— William Mackay— Hutton, Hepburn,
Liddertlale — Cockburnspath — Rev. J. Brichan,
Botanistr— Dr. Stephen, Botanist— Gordon of Kll-
drumniy— Lawrances in Usan— What is a "Tap"
or *• Taplon?" 13
Curious Figures on a Tombstone— Barbara Gordon
(Mrs. Farquhar)— Buchanan Hospital 14
Lanark Lanimer Day -Parody of "Bonnie Dundee
Mariota Dunbar — Subject Superiors Wanted—
Jonet Kirk 14
Aberdeen Painters -Robert ColvlUe— Ballad on the
Battle of Bann<xjkbum— Provost Bi-own of Aber-
deen and the Editiburgh Weekly Journal— Bor-
der Haswells — Hay of Monkton — Volunteer
Officers of 1794-1808. 15
Lieutenant Alexander btuart 16
LITERATURE 16
S<x)Ts Books of the Month 16
ABERDEEN, JULY, igo6.
A FORBES LETTER.
The following letter, unsigned, is preserved
with the Tammore Papers, which the writer is
engaged in transcribing with a view to publica-
tion. It is of considerable local interest, and
some reader may be able to mdicate by which
member of the Forbes family it was written. It
was undoubtedly addressed to Robert Grant,
Tammore, factor for Grant of Ballindalloch : —
D' Sir
I had a letter from your Son Saturdays Night
last he his Verie weell and writs me he hade received
the Monie you Dessired to send him we have been
this eight days past in great Confution with a Partie
in our Countrie seeking Men ther was 30 of them
Quartered on our People for the Most of the Last
week but beeing acquant with the Captain and the
most of them Skellators men I got them set of with-
out doeing us any more harm they burnt a Big Corn
Stack in Glendys intrest and Set Bre to two Hosses
and has Carried of 15 men from Kindy side they
have been havie on Alerg and Mr Stuarts Land has
Burnt Corn and Housses and Caried of Men from
them ther is a Garison set up at Curgarph and Above
a hunder Horse with Arms and Amonition com from
Strathbogie to it. God Almightie Send relife to the
Cuntrie for if it Dont com soon they will ruin ous
all ther is an Other partie expected from Alford Verie
Soon and we hear they ar doeing great Mischief
ther Robie Forbes was unluckallie Caried of from
£dn with the Hcighland Armie we can get no
acounts of him Since the Army cam North only we
heard from Aberdeen yt ther was a troop of Pitsligos
horse taken prissoners at the retrate of Stirling and
yt he was amongst them but of this we are not
certain his father his Vastlie unessie about him I
get no letters from my frind I want to kno what
Acounts Mrs Grant Bendaloch has we are told the
Heighland Regement is with the Duke of Cumber-
land I beg you writ Me if you kno if they are with
him ore if the Royall [sic'] be with him make my
Compliments to Mrs Grant in hast I am D' Sir
Yours &c
[No signature.]
[Endorsed in Tammore*s handwriting — ]
Mister Forbes Letter without date 1746.
The omission to sign the letter was probably
intentional, having regard to the state of affairs
in the district, and the approximate date of the
letter can be easily guessed. H. D. McW.
Foxes Eating Fruit.— In Scotland foxes
have not the opportunity of eating grapes, as we
know from the Song of Solomon they did in
Palestine, and, as a well-known fable shows,
they did in the south of Europe in ancient
times. In Scotland, however, foxes are fond of
blaeberries, and eat them so freely that the
colour of their dung is affected by them. Dogs
also show a liking for blaebernes, and crows
and curlews eat them in large quantities. In
the Arctic regions the white bear eats berries
and the fruits of bushes.
John Milne, LL,D.
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[July, 1906
MACPHERSON LETTERS.— II.
(2nd S., VIL, 167.)
He must be prejudiced, indeed, who can
peruse without some degree of emotion a letter
penned by so renowned a chieftain as the gallant
but unfortunate Macpherson of Cluny, actor in
the '45, and without reflecting on the extra-
ordinary services rendered by him and his clan
to the house of Stuart, and on his and their
adventures and sufferings subsequent to the
conflict at Culloden, but in which the Macpher-
sons and other Jacobite dans, unfortunately for
the cause of Pnnce Charles, were not destined
to take part How happily inspired were the
following lines, and how meet the tribute which
is paid to Cluny : —
In the land of the Macphersons,
Where the Spey's wide waters flow,
In the land where Royal Charlie
Knew his best firiend in his woe.
As there are presumably but few relics of the
famous chief in existence, I append copy of a
letter addressed by him to Robert Grant of
Tammore, Inveravon, the original of which is
preserved in the British Museum. No doubt
the subject matter of the letter is commonplace
enough, being merely illustrative of the fact that
Cluny, like his kinsman of Invereshie, was in
the habit of deriving supplies of meal from the
lower districts of Strathspey, in this instance
^m Elchies in Knockando (probably Easter
Elchies, then the property of Patrick Grant,
Lord Elchies, a staunch Hanoverian, and for
whom Tammore acted as factor, as well as for
Grant of Ball indal loch). The insinuation con-
tained in Cluny s letter as to the methods of the
Elchies people may perhaps be open to doubt.
It is a fairly **far cry" from Elchies to Badenoch,
and who can say what '^accidents" may have
befallen Cluny's people by the way? Perhaps
he did not send to Tammore the order which a
worthy member of the Clan Grant discreetly
gave on a similar occasion : '* Seali the Sacks
tL'itA the A/ea//.''
The chief point of interest connected with
the letter is perhaps its date, since it was in
the month of .August, 1745, ^^t Cluny was
" captured '' by the Prince, and the mention at
the close of the letter of his being ** on haste *'
may not improbably refer to some matter con-
nected with the impending rising. Prince Charles
having on the 6th of .August, the actual date of
Clunj-'s letter, despatched letters to all the
friendly chiefs, informing them of his resolution
to erect his standard at Glen finnan on the igih
of that month, and desiring them to meet him
there on that date (Chambers's "History"). The
letter runs : —
D' Sir
Tm sorry to find by All that have brought
home of the Elchiss meall that the measure does not
at all hold out; it makes not a grain more y"^ 13
pecks and ane half soe y^ its not possible they get
the nine stone. I beg you cause advert to thos
peoples giving the nine stone honestly at this time.
The meall indeed is allowed by all to be excellent,
and pray write to M" Grant on this head. I am on
haste but Sincerely
D' Sir
your most ob* Scrv*
Ev: McPherson
Cluny 6*^ Aug* 1745
The following is taken from Tammore's copy
of a letter addressed by him to Cluny a few days
prior to the date of the above letter, and contains
references to members of the Macpherson clan,
which may be of interest to some readers : —
Sir
The Bearer John McPherson in Presmuchrach
came here yesterday for fifteen bolls meall and
Brought me your order to give Malcome McPherson
in Cnibinmore seventy bolls And tho the order wants
a date and the Letter from Malcom McPherson is
unsubscrivd I have given this bearer the fifteen
bolls meall at nine stone to the boll agreable to our
Bargain and I have given Robert McPherson in
Riven on your oyr precept of the 13*^ Jully three
bolls so that you want no more than two bolls of
the Contents of this precept sent me by the bearer
that is to say the twenty bolls deliverd to Crathy
Croy on your first precept the fifteen to this man
and the three bolls to Robert McPherson makes in
haill thirty eight bolls and Jo Proctor answerd my
precept for ten bolls which was deliverd to a son of
ffinlay McPherson's Broyr to Invemahaven so you
have two of the precepts I sent you that are not yet
come to my hand one for fourty bolls on Mrs Grant
of Achterblair at Carron and the oyr for ten on Jo
Proctor which will be duly answerd when they come
to hand But youl observe that as there is three bolls
already given to Robert McPherson in Riven on
your precept of the 13^ Jully that the sd three bolls
is to be keept out of Malcom McPhersons precept
And that Malcom is to get no more than two bolls
of the five he wants of this meall so you may order
him to get three bolls of the fourty that Mrs Grant
of Achterblair is to deliver because youl see that the
two thats undeliverd here and that fourty with the
ten that Jo Proctor is to deliver for your own use
com pleats the hundred bolls I sold you and for which
I got your security I am with Esteem
Sir
Yor most humble sert
[Rob: Grant.]
Tomoir August ist 1745
! To Cap^ Euen McPherson of Cluny
Vol. VIII., 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
John Proctor mentioned in the above letter
was probably identical with the notary of
that name in Clayfurr (Easter Elchies) who
drew up the will of Isobell Mc William (daughter
of William McWilliam in Wester Galdwall) in
1744, and also prepared the marriage contract
of her sister Elizabeth on her marriage in 1756
with William Anderson in Aldawick. John is
described at this time as "late in Clayfurr."
H. D. McW.
Ranald Rankin (2nd S., VII., 106).— In my
note on this Gaelic scholar, an error crept into
it which I am unwilling to acknowledge— namely,
" Macpherson's Latin Translation of Ossian."
Now, James Macpherson has enough notoriety
without having this also thrust upon him ;
besides, I do not think that he was capable of
the task. The translator was a schoolmaster
named Robert Macfarlane, an enthusiastic ad-
mirer of Ossian. He first published " Temora''
in Latin verse in 1769. He was killed in 1804
in one of those brutal outbursts at a contested
election at Brentford peculiar to our Southron
brethren. After his death, the Highland Society
of London published in 1807 the whole of
Ossian done into Latin verse by Macfarlane.
It was this book that Father Rankin presented
to the Melbourne Public Library. I went to
consult it recently, but could not find it in its
customary place, and, on referring to the manu-
script catalogue, I perceived the detestable
letters " S. R." attached to it, and, indeed, to all
the books on the Ossian ic controversy — mean-
ing that it had been removed to the "store
room "below the building — for the benefit of rats
and other vermin, I suppose — the shelves being
now occupied with modern trash, which gives
me "the cheek-ache" (using a Colonialism) to
look at their flashy exteriors but empty insides.
Many of Burns' editions have been sent to the
same limbo, for what reason it is idle to con-
jecture. As Neil Izzet sarcastically observes,
" the only thing Scotch admitted by those rigid
censors is our whisky ! " I may state that my
surmise about Father Rankin dying in this
Colony is substantially correct, as the Scottish
Catholic Directory for 1894, which I have re-
cently perused, gives his death in Australia in
^^63. Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
John Grant of Glengairn (2nd S., VII.,
127). — I thank Mr. G. Sim for his courtesy and
assiduity in ascertaining the correct place and
date of decease of Grant. I presumed that he
went to Canada, not Australia, and would have
written to that effect; and this simple fact shows
to me the value and importance of Scottish
Notes and Queries in determining such literary
problems. Camden is about forty miles south-
west of Sydney, and about 550 miles distant
from Melbourne. I have been in the vicinity of
Camden before now, and should I happen to be
there again, the little township will have an
added interest to me as the place where the
author of the " Legends of the Braes o' Mar "
terminated his mortal career.
Melbourne, Australia.
Alba.
John Grant of CIlengairn.— The follow-
ing entry in the Register of the Scots College
at Valladolid, which appears in the " Records of
the Scots Colleges at Douai, Rome, Madrid,
Valladolid, and Ratisbon," printed for the New
Spalding Club, Aberdeen, relates to poor John
Grant " of Glengairn," author of " Legends of
the Braes of Mar," concerning whom several
enquiries and answers have appeared from time
to time in Scottish Notes and Queries: —
1846. 2 Jul. Joannes Grant. Natus 4 Aprilis
1830. Vallisoleti confirmatus est 24 Junii 1847, et
8 Novembris sequentis abiit re infecta. Ad Col-
legium Blairense admissus est, illud iiutem brevi
reliquit t p
Peter Agnew.— In the late P. R. Drum-
mond's posthumous book, "Perthshire in By-
gone Days*' (1879), ^c specifies Peter Agnew as
a man of all-round ability in their little circle —
painter, poet, actor, musician, and conversa-
tionalist, and regretted that he could not tell
what became of him. Agnew came to Aberdeen
and practised as an artist, but died prematurely
on the 15th December, 1842, aged 52. His
widow placed a humble stone in St. Nicholas
Churchyard in memory of her spouse. Agnew
is a south country name, derived from the
French agneau (lamb), which in turn has been
adopted from the Latin agnus.
Melbourne, Australia.
Alba.
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[July, 1906
NOTABLE MEN AND WOMEN OF
A R G Y L E S H I R E.
(Continued from 2nd S., Vol. VII., p. ISl.)
436. Shaw, John : Lochnell's Bard. He is
named James by Professor Blackie, who also
says that he was born at Mull in 1758, and
"seems to have been a worthless fellow, as,
indeed, it happens with rhymers not seldom."
Shaw lived at Ardchattan, partly supported by
the kindness of General Campbell of Lochnell,
whose family still dominate in that part. He
died in 1828.
437. Smith, Archibald, M.D. : Author, j
A native of Argyleshire, he resided in his native
county, where he had an estate. He was the
author of" Peru as it is," 1839, a book called by
the Athemeumy "an agreeable and judicious
companion." He died in 1868.
438. Smith, Donald, M.D.: Gaelic Scholar
and Antiquary. He was a native of Croft
Brackley, Glenurchy, and was born in 1756.
He is referred to as having taken part in the
controversy about Ossian's poems by Campbell
of Islay in "Popular Tales of the West High-
lands." He died in 1805.
439. Smith, John, D.D. : Divine, and
Gaelic Scholar and Antiquary. Born at Croft
Brackley, Glenurchy, in 1747, he was licensed
by the Presbytery of Kintyre in 1773, and or-
dained by them as missionary at Tarbert. He
was translated to Kilbrandon parish in 1777,
and to Campbeltown in 1781 ; had \^.V>. from
Edinburgh University in 1787, and died in 1827.
He was distinguished as a successful preacher,
a man of great information, and an able scholar
and divine. He took a large part in translating
the Bible into Gaelic. The Book of Isaiah
has always been appreciated as superior and
masterly translation, and it was mainly his work,
though revised by another Gaelic scholar. He
also revised and corrected a metrical version of
the Psalms, which is generally used in the
Southern Highlands, and esteemed for the sim-
plicity and purity of its language, and the easy
and harmonous flow of its versification. His
published works are : — " Gaelic Antiquities,"
1780; " V^iew of the Last Judgment," 1783;
".Sean Dana li Ossian, Oran, Ulann, etc.," 1787;
"Sailm Dhaibhidh, niaille ri Laoidhean o'n
Scrioptur naomha, chum bhi air an seinnann
an aora' Dhia Dun-Eideann," 1787; "Summary
View and Explanation of the Writings of the
Prophet," 1787; "Isaiah: Translation by Robert
Lowth, D.D., with a Summary View and Ex-
planation of the Same," 1791 ; "Affectionate
Address to the Middling and Lower Classes of
British Subjects on the Present Alarming Crisis,**
1798; "Life of St. Columba," 1798; "General
View of the Agriculture of the County of Argyle,"
1805 ; " Lecture on the Nature and End of the
Sacred Office," 1808; "Account of the Parish
of Campbeltown" ("Stat. Ace. of Scotland,"
Vol. X.).
440. Stewart, Charles, D.D. : Divine,
Poet, etc. A native of Appin, where he was born
in 1 75 1, he was licensed by the Presbytery of
Lorn in April, 1775, and ordained to the pastoral
charge of the parish of Coll in 1776, but trans-
lated to the parish of Strachur in 1779. He got
new churches built at Strachur in 1789, and at
Strathlachlan, 1792. He was made a D.D. by
St. Andrews University in 1804, and died 1826.
He was a much esteemed parish minister.
441. Stew.\rt, Catharine Maxwell :
Minor Poet. Born Achenodashenaig, Mull,
about fifty years ago, she figures in " Modern
Scottish Poets," edited by Mr. Edwards, of
Brechin, and seems to have written some good
occasional verse.
442. Stuart, Sir John : Vice-Chancellor
of England. Son of Dugald Stuart of Bala-
clinsh, .Appin, he was born in 1793, and edu-
cated at the High School and University of
Edinburgh. Called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn
in 1 8 19, he became Q.C. in 1839. He was
chosen M.P. for Newark from January, 1846,
till January, 1852, when he was returned for
Bury St. Edmunds, a burgh for which he sat
till his appointment the £ame year to the of!ice
of Vice-Chancellor. He was D.L. and J. P. for
Ross-shire, and joint author of " Reports of
Cases decided in the Court of Chancery by the
Vice-Chancellor, Sir John Leach," and " Simon's
and Stuart's Reports, 1823-6." He died in 1876.
443. Stewart, Mary : Centenarian. This
remarkable instance of longevity was bom at
Swordle, Ardnamurchan, in 1793, and died
some years ago upwards of a hundred years old.
Her ancestors for generations were farmers.
Never much from home, she was well and widely
known in the parish of her birth and the sur-
rounding district. Her habits were character-
istically plain and simple. Never seriously ill,
she never used medicine during all her long life.
Possessed of a fund of genial humour, she was
always good company, and fond of a " crack "
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
5
with her neighbours. Brimful of Highland
folklore, and remembering many incidents long
forgotten by the neighbourhood, she used to
rehearse stories of the past with much fascina-
tion and grace. Speakmg nothing but Gaelic,
which she employed with idiomatic purity, she
was an authority on all local events that tran-
spired during her lifetime. To the last her
faculties were little impaired. Her memory lost
little of its power, her hearing remained almost
perfect, and her eyesight was so keen that, with
glasses, she could thread a small needle. She
never married.
444. Stewart, Christina Brooke: Au-
thoress. A native of Argyleshire, she published
"Grace Darling," "The Loiterer in Argyleshire"
(1845), ^^^ other works.
445. Stewart, Major General Robert
Crosse, C.B. Born in Appin, 1825, and edu-
cated privately, he was recommended for a
commission without purchase by the Duke of
Wellington out of regard for his father's services
in the Peninsular War. Most of his military
life was spent in India, and in 1857 he was
appointed interpreter to the 7th Hussars at
Calcutta. He was present at the capture of
Meangunge, and also at Lucknowin 1858, where
he was severely wounded. Made Adjutant-
General in the Madras Army, he represented
that arm of the service at the Delhi celebrations
in 1877. As Governor of Netley Hospital, he
received the Queen in 1879. He entered the
Army in 1842; became Captain, 1855; Major,
1858; Lieut. -Colonel, 1869; Colonel, 1874, and
Major General (retd.), 1884. He received his
C.B. in 1881.
446. Thomson, Cecil McNeill, Mrs.
Sword : Minor Poet. Bom at Ardleisa, she is
mentioned by Edwards in his " Modern Scottish
Poets" (Vol. IV.), and specimens of her verse
are given. She seems to have been a fairly
prolific versifier, and was alive in 1880.
447. Turner, Lieut.-General Charles :
Governor of Sierra Leone. The son of a t3nant
of the farm of Drumlie, in Glenshern, Inverary,
and born there, through the influence of the
Duke of Argyle he got a commission in the
Army. During the rebellion in Ireland in the
eighteenth century he distinguished himself,
and lost an arm in the fighting. He rose to the
rank of Lieut-General by distinguished service,
and was appointed Governor of Sierra Leone,
where he died after a few years' service.
448. Whyte, Christina : Minor Poet. A
native of Appin, she figures in "Modern Scottish
Poets,'* edited by Edwards, of Brechin (Vol. IX.),
and specimens of her verse are given there.
449. Wilson, Robert, M.D. : Noted
Doctor. He was born at Inverneill, South
Knapdale, some time in the twenties of the nine-
teenth century, and died in 1880.
450. Boyd, William, D.D. : United Free
Church Divine. Born in Kilmun in 1832, he
was educated for the ministry in the U.P.
i Church, and ordained to the charge of the
Milnathort congregation 8th March, i860. Mr.
Boyd had been called shortly before to Erskine
Church, Falkirk, and he was also invited to
succeed Dr. Fletcher in Finsbury Chapel, Lon-
don. He was instrumental in building the
present fine church and manse in Milnathort.
The church, which cost ;^3,ooo, was opened 6th
May, 1869, by Dr. John Macfarlane, London.
After twelve years' ministry in Milnathort, Mr.
Boyd accepted a call to Forrest Hill Church,
London, and was inducted to the pastoral charge
iith July, 1872. He received the degree of
LL.D. from Greenville College, United States,
in 1875. Having resigned his charge in 1882,
he settled in Glasgow, where he interested him-
self in many forms of religious and philanthropic
work. For many years he was a member of the
School Board of Glasgow, and an active com-
mittee man in connection with the Board till his
death in 1905.
I 451. CONNELL, Alexander (Rev), B.D. :
I Prominent Minister of the English Presbyterian
Church. A native of Argyleshire, and educated
for the Free Church ministry, he succeeded the
Rev. John MacNeill in Regent Square Presby-
terian Church, and has maintained the high
character of that church's pulpit for an effective
ministry, being no unworthy successor of men
so illustrious as pulpit orators as Edward Irving,
Dr. James Hamilton, and Dr. Oswald Dykes.
He is one of the most popular ministers in
London, and is spoken of at present as a likely
successor of Dr. Watson of Liverpool.
452. Lamont, Norman, M.P. : Liberal
Politician. Son of a previous member for Bute-
shire, Mr. James Lamont of Knockdhu, he was
successful in wresting the representation of
Buteshire from the Conservatives in the early
part of 1905, and retained the seat at the general
election of 1906. He is a man of talent, and
very liberal in his views.
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
QULY, 1906
453. Macleay, Kenneth, R.S.A.: Minia-
ture Painter. A native of Oban, born in 1802,
he attained some fame especially as a miniature
painter, and before the mtroduction of photo-
graphy, wrought with much success on ivory.
About 1873 his sketches of Highlanders were
brought under the notice of the Queen, when he
received a commission to paint for Her Majesty
several of her servants at Balmoral, and also a
number of representatives of the clans in their
distinctive tartans. When Mr. Macleay died, in
1879, he was the last of the original members of
the Royal Scottish Academy established in 1826.
454. Ward, Colonel Sir Edward. A
native of Oban, he was a most distinguished
Army officer, Sir George White having described
him as '* the best transport officer since Noah."
He was appointed Secretary to the War Office
by Mr. Balfour, retaining his rank and title as
Permanent Under Secretary of Slate.
455. MacDougall, John : The Ardgour
Bard. Born in Argyleshire in 1 821, he died at
Greenock, September, 1891. He published a
volume of Gaelic verse in 1S70 under the title,
"Gaisge nan Gaidheal."
456. MacDougall, Duncan (Rev.): An-
other MacDougall Bard. Said to be a native
of Tiree, he published in 1841 his poem under
the title *^ Laoidhean Spioradail,'* and this book
is now difficult to procure.
Dollar. W. B. R. WiLSON.
STARK FAMILY.
"Rosy-fingered Morn."--A great deal of
inkshed has been wasted by some critics upon
Chapman's translation of Homer's " Iliad," and
the felicitousness of his compound epithets has
been lauded with great fervour, more especially
that one in Book IX.: —
Then when the rosy-fingered morn holds out
her silver light.
This seems somewhat mixed, yet Chapman did
not originate the conceit : he simply conveyed
it from Spencer's "Faerie Queene," Book I.,
canto 2, verse 7: —
Now when the rosy- fingered morning fair.
So far as I know, nobody seems to have ob-
served this before, which shows that Spencer is
not read. The first three books of his great
poem were printed at London in 1590, and
Chapman's translation did not appear till 16 10
or 161 1. Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
I have observed in recent numbers of your
serial allusions to Stark's "Biographica Scotica,"
and supply some information about him and
others of that ilk. They were all printers. John
Stark was a prosperous master printer, and,
having litarary facility, he wrote several books
and printed and published them himself. His
" Picture of Edinburgh," which I once had, was
fairly illustrated and had a good sale. Of course
it is obsolete now, and only valued as an an-
tique, date 1822. Stark was opposed to Dr.
Robert Knox, the Professor of Anatomy in Edin-
burgh University, in consequence of the revela-
tions concerning the Burke and Hare atrocities,
and being a member of the Town Council, he
made matters so sultry for Knox that he had to
quit the city. In Lonsdale's life of the great
anatomist, Stark is vehemently anathematised.
Stark died, aged 70, and was buried in a vault
at the northern wall of St. Cuthbert's Church,
under Edinburgh Castle rock, and next to Henry
Nisbet of Dean's tomb. Fortunately, the in-
scription provides biographical details which it
would be difficult to obtain now otherwise : —
" John Stark, printer, Edinburgh, Esq. of Hunt-
field, F.R.S. Edin., author of * Biographica
Scotica,' * Picture of Edinburgh,' * Elements of
Natural History,' etc. Born Blythsmuir, Peebles-
shire, 14th October, 1779. Died at Edinburgh,
24th December, 1849." His cousin, Adam
Stark, native of Edinburgh, also a printer, was
in partnership with John from 1804 to 18 10,
when he went into England and settled at
Gainsborough as printer and bookseller. He
wrote the "History and Antiquities of Gains-
borough," published 18 17, also a "History of
the Bishopric of Lincoln," a manual on printing,
and died, aged 83, on the 31st December, 1867.
Three brothers, David, James, and Allan
Stark, all Edinburgh printers, were grandsons
of the above, I presume. They emigrated to
New Zealand, and started a daily paper at the
Grey River "rush," called the Grey River Argus^
which I frequently saw in those days. Allan
Stark was the editor, and he died at Greymouth
on the 23rd August, 1875. He was alleged to
be the oldest settler in Greymouth. David
Stark, an expert comp., with whom I worked on
the Scotsman, returned to Dun edin on the
decline of the gold yield, and worked at case on
the Evening Star until his decease in Septem-
ber, 1903, aged 66. Concerning James, deponent
knoweth not. Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
^
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
MACKINTOSHES IN GLENSHEE ;
McCOMBIE FAMILY.
The name Mackintosh is frequently found in
connection with Glenshee in the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries in Privy Council,
Sasine, and other registers, and those who bore
it seem to have held their own against their
turbulent neighbours and the raiders from a
distance. From recent investigations, I am in-
clined to the belief that there were three distinct
families of the name in the glen in the early
part of the seventeenth century, while a fourth
ramiiy, believed to have been of Macdonald ex-
traction, occupied Tiriny, at the southern end
of Glentilt, near Blair AtholL The three families
in Glenshee may or may not have sprung from
one stock, but the probabilities are that they
did not. One of them — more particularly the
subject of this note — claimed descent from the
Clan Mackintosh of Inverness -shire, and in
1595 concurred with another of the families in
acknowledging as their " natyff cheiff" the head
of that clan.
The three families to which I refer are those
(i) of Dalmunzie, (2) of Cammis or Cambs, and
(3) of Thome or Tomb, and Finegand— after-
wards of Forter in Glenisla.
I. The Mackintoshes of Dalmunzie
frequently appear in record from 1584 down-
wards, at first under the name MacRitchie, or
Mackintosh alias McRitchie. They have still
a hold in the district, and there can be little
doubt that the MacRitchies who flourished in
the neighbouring parishes of Clunie and Caputh
from the seventeenth century were of the same
stock. The original Richard has hitherto
eluded all search.
II. The Mackintoshes of Cammis or
Cambs had the alias Mclnlay. Patrick McKin-
leiche, elder of Cammes, and Patrick Mcln-
leiche, younger thereof, appear in the Privy
Council Acts of Caution on 3rd October and 4th
November, 1603. The elder Patrick is perhaps
identical with a Patrick Mclnlish (? Mclnlich)
who, in 1532, obtained a tack of the teinds of
Achallater, part of the Invercauld estate (" Rec.
Inverc," p. 26). Some of the early Farquhar-
sons, prior to 1600, are in the "Register of
Deeds" and elsewhere described as "Mackintosh
alias Farquharson," and this fact, coupled with
the name Mclnlay (son of Finlay) and the con-
nection with Invercauld, suggests the possibility
that Patrick of Cammes was a son of Finla
Mor, who was practically the founder of Clan
Fhearchair. He does not appear among the
sons of Finlay in the Brouchdearg MS., but he
may have been illegitimate. It should be
mentioned, however, that the name Finlay oc-
curs in the sixteenth century in the family of
Mackintosh of Tiriny already mentioned.
The younger Patrick of 1603 seems to have
adopted the name of Mackintosh, being des-
cribed in "Register of Deeds" in 1643 as
"Patrick Mcintosh alias Mclnlie," and in Act
of Parliament of 1649 as " Patrick Mcintosh of
Cammis." The family are found described as
"of Cambs" down to 1739, when the male line
appears to have ended in the person of Patrick,
son of Lachlan, son of Alexander, son of Patrick.
His testament was confirmed nth November,
1736, and in 1738 his sister Elizabeth, wife of
Alex. Mackenzie in Cambs, was served nearest
lawful heir to him and her grandfather, and re-
signed the lands inYo the hands of Farquharson
of Invercauld, who had acquired the superiority.
(Perth Sasines, Vol. XXII.)
III. The Mackintoshes of the Tom, or
or Thom, and of Finegand, had the alias of
McThomie or McComie. Their history has
been set forth in the interesting " Memoirs of
the Family of McCombie,"by Mr. W. McCombie
Smith (Edinburgh, 1887). They are stated in
the MS. History of the Mackintoshes to be de-
scended from Adam, a natural son of the 7th
chief of Mackintosh, whose posterity were for a
time settled at Garvamore m Badenoch ; and
John Mackintosh of Forter, head of the sept in
the middle of the seventeenth century, told Sir
^neas Macpherson that he was of the " house
of Garvamore," thus to some extent corroborat-
ing the statement of the MS. On 31st March,
1595, "Robert McHomie, of the tome in Glen-
sche," joins with his neighbour of Dalmunzie
and some of the Farquharsons in giving a band
ofmanrent to the chief of Mackintosh as their
"natyff cheiff" — a circumstance which may
point to his being head of the family at the time,
but he died before 1603 (P. C. Reg., VI., 805),
and apparently left female issue only. John
McHomie, who acquired a feu of Finegand on
9th September, 1571, was probably a brother of
Robert. His wife w^as Janet Rattray, and his
son and apparent heir appears as "John Mak-
comy, junior, in Finnyzeand," in a charter of
part of Meikle Binzean in 1582, to him and his
spouse Janet Farquharson.
This brings me to the main object of the
present note. According to the Brouchdearg
MS., Finlay Mor Farquharson's eldest son
William, " married Beatrix Gordon, daughter to
the Lord Suderland, by whom he had only a
daughter, Janet, married to Thomas Macintosh
of Finniegand." There can be little doubt that
this Janet is one and the same with the Janet
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[July, 1906
Farquharson, spouse Qi John Makcomy, junior,
or Mackintosh, in 1582, but there is a slight
difficulty in regard to the Christian name of
her husband. The Brouchdearg MS. was written
nearly one hundred and fifty years after the
charier, and a mistake might easily be made,
particularly as the name Thomas formed part
of the alias of the family name, which was
Mackintosh alias McThomie, or son of Thomas.
In such a matter the charter of 1 582 is far more
likely 10 be correct, and it seems highly probable
that the compiler of the Brouchdearg MS. has
made a slip. It is possible that he may have
written that Janet was married to " McThomas
Macintosh of Finniegand," and that the**Mc"
has been omitted from the copies consulted by
the author of "The Family of McCombie" (p.
10), the editor of "Records of'Invercauld*' (p. 7),
and myself, but this is scarcely likely. Is it
known where the original MS. is to be found?
Presumably John McComy ^//Vwjohn Mackin-
tosh of Finegand, who figured in the Civil War
and afterwards removed to Forter in Glenisla,
was son of the John Makcomy and Janet Far-
quharson of 1582, but 1 have not been able
absolutely to establish the fact by record evi-
dence. Possibly some other reader may be able
to do so. A. M. M.
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ABERDEEN
PERIODICALS: REPORTS.
(Continued from 2nd S., VII., p, 84.)
"The Spy" (2nd S., VII., 89).— I think that
Mr. James Sinton would be doing a service to
Scottish li:eralure by copying Leyden's " Song
of Wallace" for publication in Scottish Notes
and Queries. It is another inedited poem, in
addition to those which I have specified in a
preceding article. Campbell's fine poem, " The
Dirge of Wallace," is not included in his works,
being apparently a fragment and unrinished ;
but the fourth and fifth verses are finely con-
ceived and artistically written, and commend
themselves instantaneously to every patriotic
Scot, excepting, of course, Mr. J. C. Had den,
whose frivolous book in the " Famous Scots
Series" is only a prolonged sneer at the great
P^«^- Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
The Andersons of Mounie.— A table,
giving the pedigree of James Anderson of
Mounie (1739- 1808), an eminent agriculturist, is
given in a remarkable book, "The Reades of
Blackwood Hill" (in the parish of Horton, Staf-
fordshire), by Aleyn Lyell Reade, privately
printed for the author by Spottiswoode, London,
1906.
1839- 187 1. Th: Spalding Club Reports. Issued
gratis to members. Size, demy 410. 1839-1840,
4pp. ; 1841, II pp. — this included the first printed
list of members ; 1842, 16 pp.; 1843, 14 pp.; 1844,
7 pp.; 1845-1846, 4 pp.; 1847-1848, 6 pp.; 1849,
5 pp.; 1850-1860, 4 pp. No imprint — 1839-1840,
1851 and 1862; 1841-1843—" Printed at the Aber-
deen Constitutional Office by William Bennett";
1844-1850, 1852-1871, "by W. Bennett, Printer,
Aberdeen." In addition to the above annual reports,
special numbers were issued as occasion arose,
notably in 1862, when subscriptions were invited so
that the club might venture upon illustrating a
volume of "Northern Antiquities."
There were twenty rules adopted by the club when
it was inaugurated 23rd December, 1839, the second
of which explained briefly the object of the society,
which was for the ''printing of inedited manuscripts,
and reprinting of works of sufficient rarity and im-
portance to make such reprints desirable." These
included the historical, ecclesiastical, topographical,
genealogical, and literary remains of the North -
Eastern Counties of Scotland. (Resolution i, 1839.)
Mr. John Stuart, advocate, Aberdeen, latterly of the
Register House, Edinburgh (his address having
changed to that of Edinburgh in 1853), was secretary
from the start, and ably supported by many gentle-
men of literary ability.
The club was limited to 300 members in 1839, 500
in 1842, and in 1843 I observe the number stood at
469. The club was mainly composed of town and
county gentlemen the same as its successor, and it
is interesting to observe His Royal Highness Prince
Albert's name appearing as patron from 1848- 1860.
(Special reference to his resignation was made in
i86i, p. 2.)
The first president of the club, elected in 1839, was
the Earl of Aberdeen, K.T., who continued in this
position till his death, which occurred in 1859 (see
i860 report, p. 2), when the Duke of Richmond,
K.G., v;ho had been vice-president from 1840, suc-
ceeded him in i860, relinquishing the post when the
iclub was disbanded in December, 1869.
j The club distributed thirty eight volumes to its
'members (no fewer than ten were presented), and
six works were issued uniform with them, but not
forming part of the series. The last publication
contained ** Notes of the Spalding Club, 1839-71,"
edited by John Stuart (pp. vi. + 145, with two plates ;
list of members, 1839-71). Edinburgh, 1871. The
annual reports of the Spalding Club, 1839-1869,
I contained 160 pp.
I The late Mr. William Cadenhead, who died nth
! December, 1904, aged 85, was the last surviving
I original member of this club. (See "In Memoriam,"
1904, p. 16.) The University Library, King's
College, possesses a complete set of the reports.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
1882. 67. George^s-in-thc-West Parish Church
Congregational Report. Though the congregation
was formed 20th February, 1879, it was not till 1882
that this welcome annual appeared. Its size has
always been demy 8vo, and covers additional. In
1882 it consisted of 16 pp.; 1883, 20 pp.; 1884, 23
pp.; 1885, 20 pp.; 1886, 22 pp.; 1887, 21 pp.; 1888-
1890, 21 pp.; 1891-1892, 23 pp.; 1893-1894, 21 pp.;
1895, 24 pp.; 1896-1897, 21 pp.; 1898, 23 pp.; 1899,
32 pp.— this included the ^'.Storj- of the Church,
1879-1900"; 1900, 21 pp.; igoi, 25 pp.; 1902, 23
pp., and two illustrations; 1903, 21 pp., illustrated
— the same year the parish minister, the Rev. James
Smith, M.A., B.D., F.R.G.S., F.S.A. Scot, dis-
tributed to his congregation a history of the Church,
1879-1904, 57 pp., illustrated ; a review of this work
appeared in Scottish Notes and Queries^ 2nd S., VI.,
16. The 1904 issue consisted of 23 pp. The printers
have been: — 1882- 1885, th^ Aberdeen Journal Office,
Adelphi Court, Union Street. Aberdeen ; 1886 1904,
John Avery & Company, Limited. A block of
S. George and the Dragon appeared on the cover
from 1886- 1890, and from 1891-1904 a view of the
church has appeared instead. The following ad-
ditional pamphlets have been issued to church
members: — 1886 and 1901, •' Roll of Communicants
and Adherents," consisting of 12 pp. and 22 pp.
respectively ; in 1884 the late Alexander Walker,
LL.D., senior trustee of the church, issued in con-
nection with this church, which held a bazaar, an
interesting pamphlet entitled, **A Brief Description
! of i The Parish \ of Saint Georgesin-the-VVest |
Being a part of | The Ancient Parish | of ] Saint
Nicholas of Aberdeen. | Printed for the Bazaar by
Gibb and Hay, | Royal Litho. Works, Aberdeen. |
1884." This consisted of 10 pp., and litho. drawing
of St. Nicholas Church. In 1887 the "Order of
Service | for the | Jubilee of Her Majesty, | Queen
Victoria, | 19th June, 1887," 4 pp., was printed by
W. Jolly & Son, Aberdeen.
The contents of the above most creditable pro-
duction include the "Annual Pastoral Letter" by
the minister, revenue and expenditure of the church,
which terminates at 31st December annually, also
brief reports of the other agencies of the church,
which I have not thought necessary to detail at
length.
In December, 1884, the late Mr. William Caden-
head wrote a poem, consisting of ten verses, entitled,
"The Parish | of | S. George's-in-the-West," which
was printed at the | trades' stall of the bazaar | in the
Music Hall of Aberdeen. I reproduce verses i, 6,
8, and 10: —
0, less than fifty years ago,
111 an auld farrcnt toon,
Alan);? a street a sluggish stream
Gaed wanderin' darkly doon.
This was among the auldest streets
Within that ancient broch—
The broch was Jlst oor Aberdeen,
The stream it was the Loch.
Improvement reigns ; fair fabrics rise
All round ; and, 'raong the rest,
Stands prominent, yet half retired,
St. Oeorge's-tn-the-West.
While old men, as they saunter,
With the fair change impressed.
Pour hearty benedictions on
S. Oeorge's-in-the-West.
Mr. Cadenhead was also author of a poem, "Our
Church," which will be seen on p. 7 of the special
issue of 1903 already mentioned.
1887. New Spalding Club, Annual Reports by
the Council. Issued gratis to members. The in-
augural meeting of this club was held nth Novem-
ber, 1886, and its primary object is as follows: —
*' To promote the study of the Topography and
Archaeology of North -Eastern Counties of Scotland,
and to prmt works illustrative thereof." (Rule i.)
Size of annual, demy 4to. The first issue (1887)
contained 38 pp., and embraced resolutions adopted
by the Council, 25th November, 1886; reports by
the following committees : — Editorial, William D.
Geddes, pro C; Burgh and Judicial Records — P. M.
Cran, C.; Ecclesiastical Records — James Moir, C;
Family History, J. Allardyce, C; Second Editorial —
C. Elphinstone Dalrymple, C. ; Topography and
Archaeology— Walter Gregor, C. ; and that of the
Council — per George Grub, C. The sizes of the
latter issues are — 1888, 8 pp.; 1889-1893, 12 pp.;
1894, '^ PP*» including rules as altered 21st Decem-
ber ; 1895, '^ PP- (^^^ Society^s armorial bearings
appeared for the first time on cover, and continued
annually); 1896, 20 pp.; 1897-1901, 16 pp.; 1902-
1904, 20 pp.
The issue of 1887 bore the imprint — '* Printed by
Milne & Hutchison, 70 Netherkirkgate, Aberdeen";
1897, ** Aberdeen University Press," on fifteenth
page ; 1898 and 1899, the same, but printed on the
face; 1900-1904, "The Aberdeen University Press,
Limited." It bore no imprint during the years 1888-
1 896. There are twelve rules, altered at various times ;
these have been incorporated in the annual since 1895.
The number of members was fixed at 400 at the
inaugural meeting, but raised to 500 on i6th Decem-
ber the same y«ar, and at that number it still re-
mains. Her late Majesty, Queen Victoria, was
patroness from 1887-1900; King Edward VII. has
been patron since 1901. Mr. P. J. Anderson has
been secretary from the start ; Mr. Patrick Hender-
son Chalmers was treasurer in 1887 ; from 1888 this
post has been filled by Mr. Farquharson Taylor
Garden. The Earl of Aberdeen has been president
since the club's formation. During the club's exis-
tence, twenty-eight volumes have been distributed
to members ; six works uniform with them, but not
forming part of the series, have been produced by
members (two being presented to members) ; whilst
sixteen works have been issued by the University of
Aberdeen in conjunction with the New Spalding
Club, under Rule 10, and appropriately designated
"Aberdeen University Studies." A statement show-
ing the annual income and expenditure of the club is
incorporated in each report. Report XVIII. con-
tains a bibliographical account of all the issues of
the old club as well as of the new.
Aberdeen.
Robert Murdoch,
lO
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[July, 1906
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EDINBURGH
PERIODICAL LITERATURE (V., 20, etc.)
(Continued from 2nd S., Vol. VII,, p. 180.)
[Supplementary. ]
17 10. The Tatler. Some time in this year, James
Watson undertook to reproduce Steele's London
Tatler, I have examined a solitary issue in the
British Museum.
The Tatler y by Isaac Bickerstaflf, Esq. No. 31.
From Thursday, April 20, to Monday, April 24,
1 7 10. Single sheet folio, two columns to page.
Edinburgh : printed by James Watson, and sold
at his shop next door to the Red Lyon, opposite
to the Lucken Booths, where advertisements are
taken in. The number contains the following
notice : —
" Thote who design to make a collection of this paper
and will subscribe to take them for a year, shall be
duly furnished by the printer and their copies printed
on fine paper, at the rate of 7s. sterling for a whole
year's papers, one half of which is to be paid on sab-
scribing and the other at the expiration of a year after
their subscription. No more fine copies will be printed
than what are subscribed for. Subscriptions will be
taken at the printer's shop next door to the Red Lyon,
opposite the Luckenbooths, Edinburgh."
Steele's Tatler was begun April 12, 1709, and ran
for 271 numbers, or for nearly two years. Steele's
own description of it was, ** a paper which should
observe upon the manners of the pleasurable as
well as the busy part of mankind." Watson, how-
ever, does not appear to have published the whole
periodical. The number described above corres-
ponded with No. 160 — from Saturday, 15th April,
to Tuesday, i8th April, 17 10. The Hope Collec-
tion Catalogue gives Watson's No. 100 as corres-
ponding with Steele's No. 229. It is apparent
accordingly that Watson began with the issue of
Steele's No. 130, some time about the beginning
of February. Like its original, the issue appears
to have been thrice weekly. He printed local
advertisements. Steele's Tatler en^ed on January
2, 171 1, and Watson's reprint must have ceased
then, for within less than a fortnight he was
sending out a native Tatler of his own.
17 10. The North Tatler. The earliest reference I
can find to this periodical is contained in Chalmers'
** Life of Ruddiman." On p. 121 he has —
" In March, 1710, the A'w-f A Tatter . . was printed
by John Reid for Samuel Colvil " ;
and he adds in a footnote —
" The Tatler, No. 1, was dated from 27th of March to
the Ist of April, 1710, and was published every Monday
and lYiday."
The use of the name by Richard Steele had given
it currency, and many periodicals about the time
adopted the word in their titles. From the par-
ticulars Chalmers gives, it is evident that the
North Tatler was distinct both from Watson's
reprint and from the Tatler of 1711.*
*1712. MiiCfUaneoua Numbers : relating to the controversies
alK>ut the Book of Ck)mmon Prayer, Episcopal Qovemment,
1714. The Edinburgh Gazette, or Scots Postman,
with the Freshest Occurrences, Foreign and Do-
mestic. No. I. Tuesday, March g, to Thursday,
March 11, 1714. Single sheet folio. Price one
penny, every Tuesday and Thursday. Edin-
burgh : printed by Robert Brown, and the prints
are to be sold at his printing house, Forrester's
Wynd, and Caledona and Royal Coffee Houses.
The coffee houses were dropped after nine num-
bers. Neither cuts nor "with authority" appeared.
The absence of authority suggests that Donaldson
was now dead.
This restart of the 1699 journal contained at
first the usual news common to the prints of the
day, but in No. 17 a notice appeared that the
publisher had determined, "when the news are
barron, to cause print and publish in my prints
some other things tending to the benefit of the
publick." Hence arose the occasional insertion
of papers of the essay type, the first being con-
veyed from the London Patriot, No. 8, "that
great author." Nos. 28 and 29 had no imprint ;
No. 30 had " Edinburgh : printed by John Reid
in Pearson's Closs, a little above the Cross, north
side of the Street." No. 32 adds " Price a penny."
No. 44 and onwards was 6 pp., price i^d., the
first page being used as a kind of displayed con-
tents. The second page of No. 44 gave the
reason for the change ; —
"Candid Reader, our Occurrences Foreign and Do-
mestick for several Posts have been so large, and the
ordinary Stampt Paper so small and mean, that, to
give a more full account of the present Transactions
in this juncture, we are obliged to cause print the
same sheetways and on larger paper, when there will
be much more news, and not much dearer than former
Prints."
Some kind of calamity befell the journal at No.
67, November 9, 1714. It was set up in the most
wretched type, and had a most woebegone aspect,
although the size was maintained. The imprint
was "Edinburgh: printed by Mar. Reid at the
foot of the Horse Wynd. 1714. Price i4d."
What explanation is available may be found in the
note which appeared on the first page : —
"Candid Header— Though this print had the mis-
fortune to be in hands that did not like the design of
the laudable undertaking (advanced to undeceive the
scrupulous and Ignorant, and to serve the present
happy constitution), but drove the author to a neces-
sity (rather than to drop the thing) to make use of a
worse type at present, yet let not the well wishers to
the undertaking be discouraged ; let them but have a
little patience, and they shall have better type and
more correct."
the Power of the Church, etc., defended by Scripture.
K^ason, Antiquity, and the Sentiments of the leam'dest
KeformerB, particularly by John Calvin. By Mr. Robert
?!?! f ' ^^5 ?**'x.,*'l*^**® ,^«*P«'- Edinburgh: printed in
the year 1713 Folio. 30 numbers. Nos. 1-29 inclusive
1712r ** separately dated December 17,
The British Museum catalogue has the Miteellaneow
Aumj«r« Inserted among the periodicals. It is included
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
II
I have not seen the numbers that immediately
succeeded No. 67, but the disasters that then fell
on the paper were but the precursors of greater.
No. 74 appeared as a 10 pp. small 4to, with the
name spelled Gazzeite — a spelling which was re-
tained. It was priced ijd., and was dated " from
our last No. 73 to the third March 1715"— an
interval of nearly three months. The editor
brokenly promised — '* Shall give you in our next
the reasons which induced the author to dis-
continue publishing his news prints and turning
the same into a quarto paper." The imprint was
"Edinburgh: printed by John Moncur, 1715."
The reasons were duly given in No. 75, which
added to the imprint the mystic letters, " pr. 3. h.
p.," expanded in No. 77 into "price 3 half pence": —
" The reasons that induced the author to discontinue
publishing of the Edivbwryh Oazette for some time
were, first, none paid in their proportions according to
contract except twelve, tho' the author provided each
day about 3 quare of prints each printing day for the
suhscrivers' use, and intimated where they might have
them fur the fetching, which prints were all lost to the
author, and drained him of money, 'llie second was
that, seeing he was forced to discontinue as aforesaid
till he raised money to carry on the undertalcing again,
the same happening to he the dead time of the year
when there is no action but consultations about
matters and designs, and therefore judged it more
proper when consiiltations appeared in action, as the
same is now beginning to be put in action.
"Now, the honourable subscrivers are earnestly
desired to pay in their proportions according lo
paction, otherwise there will be a necessity to publish
their names who have paid and not paid.'*
Immediate improvement did not take place, and
it is likely that the venture finally collapsed soon
after. The last number I have seen is No. 77
(misnumbered 76), March 15, 1715.
All writers on the history of the Edinburgh
Gazette of the present day refer its origin back to
1699, and identify it with Donaldson's publication.
This is an entire mistake. The current official
organ did not begin its career till near the close
of the eighteenth century, and for eighty years no
Edinburgh Gazette was published. The identity
of title in the two journals is accidental. The
present paper owes its name to the desire of the
projectors to have uniformity of nomenclature
among the Government journals of the three king-
doms. The Edinburgh Gazette was meant to
take in Scotland the position which the London
Gazette took in England and the Dublin Gazette
in Ireland.
1716. The Freeholder and the Weekly Packet.
Thursday, April 5, 17 16. 12 pp., 4to, two col-
umns to page. Edinburgh: printed for James
Young, and sold at Mr. Steven's Coffee-house on
the South-side of the Street, near the Cross,
Anno DoM. mdccxvi. The first page was used
as a title page, and carried a cut of the Royal
Arms of Scotland. The issue of April 5 was
probably the first, as it contains No. i of the
Weekly Packet^ and prints the following " adver-
tisement " on page 2 : —
** This paper, which goes under the name of the Free-
holder^ is published at London twice a weeic, and Lb
commonly reported to be the performance of the
ingenious Mr. Addison. At the desire of several
Gentlemen, goodjudges of such composures, it is re-
printed here at Edinourgh. The London copies are
sold at 3d. each week, but the Buyer has this with tho
tTeekly Packet for half that price. As for the Weekly
Padeety it is an impartial collection of the news from
the best newspapers both printed and written. If a
sufficient number of subscriptions can easily be had,
all the Freeholders that have been before published will
be reprinted to make the Sett printed here com pleat.'
This number contained Nos. 27 and 28 of the
Freeholder^ in addition to the Weekly Packet^
54 pages being devoted to the former, and the last
page being blank. The issue for April 10, 1716,
contained Nos. 29 and 30 of the Freeholder^ and
No. 2 of the Weekly Packet. It changed the im-
print to ** Edinburgh : printed for George Steuart,
Bookseller, and sold at his shop. Anno Dom.
MDCCXVI. Advertisements to be published in this
paper are taken in at Mr. Steven*s Coffee House
near the Cross, and at George Steuart, Bookseller,
his shop." No advertisements, however, appeared
in any numbers I have seen. What was likely
No. 3, Tuesday, April 17, 1716, was prmted across
the page, and had again a different imprint —
** Printed for James Young, and sold at the
Printing- House opposite to the Trone Church.
Anno Dom. mdccxvi. Price three Halfpence."
This imprint continued in all the remaining
numbers I have seen. No. 3 contained No. 32 of
the Freeholder and No. 3 of the Weekly Packet,
No. 31 of the Freeholder did not appear, it being
announced that it was being printed separately,
and could be obtained for 3d. The following
number admitted extracts from other news journals,
the space devoted to the Weekly Packet being
eleven lines only. This neglect of the Packet
continued to the end. In all, I have seen numbers
up to that for Tuesday, June 26, 1716. The
London original came to an end on June 29, 1716.
Addison started the Freeholder on December 23,
1715, and fifty-five numbers in all were publis|ied.
Its appearance was necessitated by the crisis in
Whig politics caused by the Rising of the '15, and
the Freeholder was meant to act in the defence of
the party. So successful were his efforts that, a
year after the journal was begun, Addison was
rewarded with a Commissionership of Trade and
Plantations. The paper was conducted with the
greatest good humour, and its author
"found opportunities to discuss the vagaries of the
Female Sex, French Anglophobia, the treatment of
authors, or his old topic of wit and humour. His
methods of political persuasion, as illustrated in the
case of the Tory Foxhunter (No. 47) were perhaps more
successful than those of the most ardent members of
his party, such as Steele, who preferred to drub the
Jacobites into allegiance."
In the matter of the Freeholder, Steele compared
the voice of Addison to a lute, and his own to a
trumpet. The Edinburgh edition ran up to No.
41 of the London journal at least.
26 Circus Drive, W. J. Couper.
Glasgow.
12
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[July, 1906
EARLY VOLUNTEERING IN
ABERDEEN.
D. S. is, I understand, collecting materials for
the history of our local Volunteer forces, which
sooner or later must be written. D. S. may note
that recently I overhauled the list of men who
joined the Aberdeen City Artillery, now ist '
Aberdeenshire Royal Garrison Artillery (Volun-
teers), and find the roll in a good state of preser- ,
vation. I recommend that the names of all I
men who have joined the Volunteer force in
Aberdeen be printed in full (omitting, of course,
addresses and professions), with regimental
number attached, the same as the corps muster
books ; and that biographical notes on the
officers of the respective corps be included where
necessary, and dates of promotions be noted in
full from the tim- of their joining the Colours.
Thus : — " 2492. Charles Eraser Brodie, joined
10th March, 1881 ; lieutenant, ist July, 1881 ;
captain, i8th April, 1887 ; resigned, 14th May,
1 890."
Lord Cockburn, who died 26th April, 1854,
aged 75, states in his entertaining diary en-
titled "Circuit Journeys" (2nd edition, pub-
lished 1889 by David Douglas, Edinburgh), at
pp. 324-5, that, when he was Advocate- Depute,
with Hope as Justice-Clerk, at Aberdeen (1808
or 1809, I thinic), his lordship, after leaving the
bench early, went and reviewed the Volunteers.'
Ye>, the Judge of Assize doffed his wig, mounted
a charger, and reviewed a regiment, and went
forward next day on his circuit After a display
on the field, he entertained the officers and
the military authorities of the place at dinner.
There probably never was so much scarlet or so
many epaulettes at a judge's assize banquet
before. It was a grand military day in Aber-
deen, and entirely extinguished the poor glory
of the Court. All this seems odd now. But
the wonder will abate when we recollect that
the reviewing Judge was an actual and most
active Lieutenant-Colonel, and that though the
judicious lamented this, the period permitted
it. And indeed the judges, as representing the
sovereign, had, and I fancy still have, a right to
take the command of the military within the
circuit town. This is not practised now, but it
was uniformly practised since I remember. The
judge was formally waited upon by the com-
manding officer, or by some officer representing
him, and asked for orders, and to give the pass-
word for the day. I never knew the judge give
any orders, but he very generally gave the word,
and the daily military report was frequently
made to him by an officer lowering his sword.
Robert Murdoch.
The Scots N.\me of Touch.— T"-*^ Times
of May 25, (906, contains the following adver-
tisement : —
T George Alexander Touche, heretofore called
^y and known by the name of George Alexander
Touch, of 26, Collingham -gardens, London, S.W.,
and Basildon House, London, E.G., hereby give
public notice that, with a view to preventing the
ordinary mispronunciation of my surname, as well
as reverting more closely to the original usage of the
name (which, though written variously in the earliest
Scots records, has most frequently the regulating
final **e," or is otherwise so spelled as to indicate
that it was pronounced as Touche), I have, by Royal
Licence and Authority, varied the spelling thereof
by the addition or restoration thereto of the letter
'*e,"and intend henceforth upon all occasions to
use the surname of Touche instead of Touch.
Dated this 24th day of May, igo6.
George A. Touche, formerly Touch.
743. Grammar Schools. — Can anyone say when
Aberdeen Grammar School was first built, if restored
about the time of James IV., if still standing, and if
not, if any pictorial representation is in existence ;
if the grammar schools of Scotland were built more
or less on one plan or style of architecture, and what
might be accepted as a good or ideal type of such
buildings? P. B., P.
744. The Haigs of Bemersyde.— *'T. D. W."
thus writes the editor of The Scottish Review^ 7th
December, 1905 : — " Sir, — In my opinion, Thomas
the Rh^mner was not so unwise as to tie himself to
the saying that there would aye be Haig^ — meaning
persons of that name — in or on Bemersyde. My
reading of the saying is this: —
" ' Betide, betide, whatever betide,
There'll aye be Haig on Bemersyde.'
" The common interpretation of this is that there
always will be one of the Haig family in possession
of the property. But ' haig ' or * hag ' in old Scots
or Low Dutch also means a wood or coppice — for
example, ' The Hague,' the capital of Holland, is so
caHed from the wood which surrounds it. Anyone
who looks at the semi-precipitous bank of Bemersyde
overhanging the Tweed, on the face of which oak
coppice or other bushes or small trees are always to
be seen, and from which it is hardly possible to clear
them, will see that Wise Thomas meant trees, not
persons." This seems to be a very feasible explana-
tion, of which I shall be glad to hear comments
upon. The Rev. W. B. R. Wilson biographed eight
of the illustrious Haigs in 2nd S., HL, 152.
Robert Murdoch.
745. Verses on Two Babes.— I shall be glad
to be directed to the source whence the undernoted
lines appeared. They are in the handwriting of
Fred. G. Forsyth Grant, 3rd Lt. Dor., i860 (what
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
13
regiment does this stand for?), and appear at the
end ol a volume entitled *' Choice Notes from Notes
and Queries Folk Lore." London: Bell & Daldy,
i86 Fleet Street. 1859. Thus :—
** Here lies two babes as dead as Knips,
They was took off in ague fits ;
They was too good to live with me,
And so they have gone to live with He."
Robert Murdoch.
746. Rev. William Duncan. — Henry Gordon,
Captain in the Marines, and son of the last laird of
Terpersie, who was executed, married Jane Gordon
of the Coynachie family. She is said to have been
burned to death at Collethie about 1796. She married
as her second husband " William Duncan, residing
at Coldrain," who is mentioned in her will. Duncan !
is said to have been the son of the tenant of Drum- I
bulg, and to have been a Navy Chaplain. W^hat is
known of him ? J. M. Bulloch.
747. John Gordon, Schoolmaster, Belhelvie.
n the beginning of the eighteenth century there
were two schoolmasters of this name, father and
son, in Belhelvie. What is known of them ?
J. M. Bulloch.
748. William Mackay. — A poem in blank verse,
entitled "Heaven," by William Mackay, was printed
at Glasgow in 1847. It extends to ninety-five pages,
and appears to be a juvenile performance, yet con-
tains some good descriptive writing. One half of
the poem consists of a survey of the globe and its
different nationalities, India being specially noted.
This part seems to me an amplification of James
Montgomery's poetical ** Voyage round the World."
Can any of your readers give an account of this
William Mackay ? I thought at first that it might
be the Rev. W. S. Mackay, a Thurso man, who was
Free Church missionary to India under Dr. Duff,
but as he went to India in 183 1 and died in Scotland
in 1865, he cannot be *'the real Mackay" in question.
Melbourne, Australia.
Alba.
749. HuTTON, Hepburn, Lidderdale. — Would
any readers of Scottish Notes and Queries tell me if
the Huttons of that ilk came over with William the
Conqueror, and where I could find their pedigree
from that time ? My father was a Hutton ot that
ilk ; my great-great-grandfather died at Berwick at
the age of 100. Into which branch of Robertsons
of Struan did Thomas Hutton marry in 1802 ? His
wife was Janet Robertson, who had a brother Alex-
ander. The maiden name of Janet's mother was
Urquhart. I would like to trace her family. I
would also like to learn about the family Hepburn.
One daughter married Thomas Lidderdale of Castle
Milk. They had one daughter, Maria. I possess
their portraits. A Miss Fuller ton of Aberdeen (?)
married James Lidderdale ; she would be my great-
great-grandmother. I would also like to find her
people. She died 25th August, 1772. Please reply
direct to —
I, Palliser Court, (Mrs.) E. C. Wirnholt.
West Kensington,
London.
750. Cockburnspath. — Will any of the readers
of Scottish Notes and Queries be good enough to
mention some authority where I might find informa-
tion regarding the origin and history of the village
of Cockburnspath in Berwickshire, and also with
reference to the estate of Dunglass on which the
village is situated ? I should like to know something
about the fine ruin of a chapel in the grounds of
Dunglass, and also about the parish church and
village cross. I have already consulted '* Statistical
Account of Scotland," ** Antiquities of Scotland,"
"Gentlemen's Seats in Scotland," ** Topographical
Dictionary of Scotland," and a few minor authorities,
without being able to find anything about the cross
in the village or the chapel, except the facts that it
was a collegiate church built in 1450.
21 Lilyhill Terrace,
Edinburgh.
W. J. Frost.
751. Rev. J. Brichan, Botanist. — Who was
the Rev. J. Brichan, frequently cited in Dickie's
" Botanist's Guide " as supplying habitats of plants
in the Deeside district ? J. W. H. T.
752. Dr. Stephen, Botanist. — Who was Dr.
Stephen, frequently cited in Dickie's *' Botanist's
Guide" as supplying habitats of plants in the St.
Cyrus district? J. W. H. T.
753. Gordon of Kildrummy.— After the battle
of Culloden, the Chevalier de Johnstone visited " Mr.
Gordon of Kildrummy," a relation of Mrs. Menzies,
Banff. Who was this Gordon ? Was he a Bel-
dornie ? J. M. B.
754. Lawrances in Usan. — Under the heading
** Mary ton," Jervise, in his "Epitaphs and Inscrip-
tions," Vol. I., p. 236, notes that William, son of
William Lawrance, vintner, Usan, was drowned in a
draw-well, October, 1787, aged 3 years : —
Doth infant's pain and death proclaim,
That Adam did rebel?
His destiny declares the same,
Being drowned in a well.
Let all who mourn his early death
Hate sin, the fatal cause,
And flee to Jesus Christ by fiiith,
Who saves from Satan's Jaws.
Does the surname still survive in the locality ?
Robert Murdoch.
755. What is a *'Tap" or '♦ Tapion"?— It
appears to be the name for part of the harness for
the head of a horse, and occurs in old accounts:
"Mending the six tapions for the horses* heads," and
the manufacturer seems to have been known as a
**tapion-maker.*' J. McG.
14
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
QULY, 1906
756. Curious Figures on a Tombstone. — In
the churchyard of Strathdon, Aberdeenshire, there
is a tombstone with the figures of Adam and Eve at
the top, distinguished by the one having bushy hair
and the other long and straight hair. At the lower
end of the stone there are two skulls, one at the
right side and the other at the left. Out of the
right ear of one skull issues a short stem, to the end
of which is attached something like the hand held
sideways, extending along the whole side of the
skull. The two together resemble in shape the
vertical section of a mushroom placed horizontally
with the root in the ear. A similar excrescence
issues from the left ear of the other skull. Query —
What do such excrescences represent, and are there
similar skulls in other churchyards ?
John Milne, LL.D.
757. Barbara Gordon (Mrs. Farquhar). — In
Mortlach Churchyard there is an inscription — "Here
lies the dust of Alexander Farquhar, who lived at
Priestwell, and died May 22, 1733, aged 76 years ;
and of Barbara Gordon, his spouse, who died
November, 1736, aged 70." To what family of
Gordons did she belong?
758. Buchanan Hospital. — Such is the name
of a charitable institution at St. Leonards-on-Sea,
County Sussex. As our English brethren are not in
the habit of calling public buildings after any Scot
without sufficient reason, I feel assured that there is
a certain and almost unknown story of some scion
of the clan involved in the Buchanan Hospital.
Who was this Buchanan ? Alba.
Melbourne, Anstralia.
Hnswers.
605. Lanark Lanimer Day (2nd S., VII., 30,
48). — In The Scots Pictorial, Vol. I., 19th June, 1897,
pp. 308.309, an interesting note on this custom is
given, illustrated by ten excellent photographs by
Arch. Brown & Co., Lanark. The capital of the
Upper Ward is one of the ancient burghs that keep
up the custom of riding the marches, and the pagean-
try for which that annual event affords the occasion
was that year more elaborate than ever. The feature
of it at one time was ** the birks," or band of young
stalwarts of the town and neighbourhood, bearing
branches of trees, that marched in procession with
the representatives of the various trades. But of late
years the juvenile element has been worked up, till
the children's part in the parade is one of the most
prominent. The ceremony winds up on the east side
of the town — to which it is practically confined — by
a general adjournment to the moor, where the sports
and all the fun of the fair goes on.
Robert Murdoch.
71(5. Border Haswells (2nd S., VIL, 156, 172).
— Long assigns to Haswell the meaning of " spring
among hazel bushes," and connects it with such
personal names as Haslam and Hazlitt It would
appear to be a territorial rather than a personal
designation. Haswellsykes, sometimes spelt Hass-
wellsykes, is, I understand, a farm in Manor parish,
Peeblesshire, which was tenanted about fifty years
ago by a Mr. Robert Tod. I have failed to connect
any family called Haswell with the county, and
believe that, as far as Peeblesshire is concerned, the
place-name preceded the personal designation. The
earliest Haswell, as far as I have seen, appeared at
Dundee in 1602, and shortly thereafter the name
emerged in Roxburghshire, being rather common in
Crailing parish during the seventeenth century.
W.
718. Parody op "Bonnie Dundee" (2nd S.,
VII., 136, 156, 176). — I would refer R. D. to Mr.
P. J. Anderson's query, No. 436, page 172, Vol. V.,
2nd S., as probably the reference he is searching for.
I may add that the reputed parodist. Dr. Peter
Smith, died 9th December, 1900, aged 62. (See
Free Press, 29th January, 1900.) Ed.
721. Hay of Monkton (2nd S., VII., 172). — In
the ** Edinburgh Register of Testaments," 1601-1700,
two Hays of Monkton are mentioned — George, of
Monkton, parish of Inveresk, whose will bears date
28th September, 1625, and Alexander, whose will is
dated 24th January, 1674. Among persons recorded
in the *' Register of Interments in Greyfriars, Edin-
burgh," occurs the name of Mr. Alexander Hay,
writer, whose burial took place nth November, 1692.
Information about the Hay family generally may be
obtained from •' Historical Account of the Family of
Hay of Leys," Edinburgh, 1832, privately printed ;
from Father Hay's *' Genealogie of the Hays of
Tweeddale," edited by Maidment, Edinburgh, 1835 ;
and from *' Andrew Hay's Diary," edited by Reid,
one of the publications of the Scottish History
Society. Reference may also be made to Brunton
of Haig's ** Senators of the College of Justice,"
Edinburgh, 1832, and to the *' Estimate of the Scot-
tish Nobility during the Minority of James VI.,"
edited by Rogers —a volume issued under the auspices
of the Grampian Club. W.
724. Volunteer Officers of 1794-1808 (2nd
S., VII., 172). — If any portraits ot Sheriff Moir are
still in existence, such books as Gill's ** Family of
Moir and Byres," Aberdeen, 1885, or Dr. Walker's
" Commonty of Perwinnes, called also Scotstown
Moor," might perhaps help to trace them out.
Sheriff Moir, I understand, was the father of George
Moir, Professor of Scots Law in Edinburgh Univer-
sity. The present head of the house of Bannerman
of Elrick is, I believe, a descendent of Thomas
Bannerman named in the query, and might possibly
be willing to afford information as to his ancestor's
portraits. Colonel Finlason I take to be identical
with an Aberdeenshire proprietor whose name
appears in county lists towards the close of the
eighteenth century, but am extremely doubtful
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
15
whether any portrait of him may still be extant.
The same remark applies to Alexander Tower of
Ferryhill, whose brief Parliamentary career as mem-
ber for Berwickon-Tweed lasted only about a year.
W.
735. Lieutenant Alexander Stuart (2nd S.,
VIL, 173). — The 89th Regiment, originally raised
in the Highlands, is now an Irish company, and
bears the name of the Royal Irish Fusiliers. In
Browne's *' History of the Highlands and Highland
Clans," IV., 281, it is stated that, in 1759, Alexander
Stewart of Lismurdie was one of the lieutenants in
the 89th Foot. He is probably identical with the
Lieutenant Alexander Stuart of the query. Cor-
roborative evidence or otherwise may perhaps be
obtained by consulting ** Historical Record of the
89th or Royal Irish Fusiliers,'* London, 1842, and
** Historical Record of the 89th (Princess Victoria)
Regiment," by Captain Brinckman, London, 1888.
■S.
730. Mariota Dunbar (2nd S., VII., 173, 191).
— Mariota or Marjory Dunbar was a daughter of a
brother of Bishop Gavin Dunbar. I think this must
be Gavin Dunbar, Bishop of Aberdeen, and not his
nephew and namesake who was Bishop of Glasgow.
J. M. A. W.
732. Subject Superiors Wanted (2nd S.,VII.,
173, 191). — No doubt, to a dweller in the shire of
Banff, the land- names mentioned in this query are
as " household words," or like
** the sweet south
That breathes amid a bank of violets " ;
but to an outlander, unacquainted with the country,
they are apt to induce a feeling of astonishment
mingled with awe. Even a recent issue of " Slater's
Directory" fails to help the removal of one's
chastened solemnity. That invaluable publication
reveals indeed the existence of three different places
called Leitcheston, but is obstinately silent with re-
gard to any of the others, unless we are allowed to
identify Auchinreath with Auchinraith of the query.
The period when the superiorities existed is also
somewhat vague. Does it mean present time, or
during last century, or even earlier ? Taking for
granted that an earlier date is intended, one may
venture the supposition that, towards the close of
the eighteenth century, the Duke of Gordon may
probably have been the superior of Leitcheston, that
Cosmo Gordon of Cluny may perhaps have been
overlord of Clunybeg, and that the other places
mentioned fell under the jurisdiction of Lord Fife,
who at that date was by far the largest landowner in
the county. Perplexity.
733. Jonet Kirk (2nd S., VII., 173).— The Scot-
tisn Kirks are descended from David Kirk, a valiant
burgess of Edinburgh, who fell fighting for his coun-
try's liberty in 1549, and whose brother, a Romish
priest, was strongly suspected of leanings towards
the Protestant religion. Of the same family, among
several who became Protestant clergymen there
were two ministers of Aberfoyle in Perthshire, father
and son, the younger of whom was noted for learn-
ing, and is traditionally believed to have been carried
off by the fairies. Jonet Kirk, in all likelihood, was
one of the Scottish Kirks. The English branch of
the family frequently spell the name with a final
<?— Kirke. Colonel Percy Kirke of Kirke's Lambs
(said to have been the son of a gentleman in atten-
dance on King Charles), who emerged from obscurity
at Tangier, blossomed into notoriety during Mon-
mouth's rebellion, and fell into merited oblivion after
the relief of Londonderry — was almost certainly an
Englishman. His Christian name, Percy, and
savage character, as pictured by Macaulay, render
it extremely improbable that any kindly blood of the
Scottish Kirks flowed in his veins. S.
734. Aberdeen Painters (2nd S., VII., 173). —
May I take the liberty of suggesting that the persons
named in this query were what might be called house
painters and decorators rather than artists in the
strict sense of the word ? It is difficult otherwise to
account for the oblivion that has settled over their
names. W.
735. Robert Colvile (2nd S., VII., 173). — I am
not aware that the lines quoted have appeared any-
where else. As suggested in the query, Colvill of
Hiltoun, who fell at Flodden, was in all probability
the author of the lines. S.
736. Ballad on the Battle of Bannockburn
(2nd S., VII., 174). — John Nicholson, Kirkcudbright,
was much more than a mere printer of chap-books.
He was an enterprising publisher at a period when
the issue of anything more ambitious than a 2 pp.
newspaper from a small country town was something
of a phenomenon. Two books at least — issued from
his press in the early forties of last century — are now
somewhat eagerly sought after. As an author, he
was known as an antiquary and local historian, but,
as far as I am aware, never aspired to poetry, or even
rhyme, being, no doubt, a man of sense, and recog-
nising his limitations in this direction. The only
thing one feels tolerably certain about in this query
is that the chap-book entitled ** Robert de Bruce's
Garland" was not composed by Nicholson. His
brother might have written it, but the theme lies
quite outside William's vein. Old chap-book* com-
pilers were seldom very scrupulous about the use
they made of earlier productions. It is possible that
the chap-book in question was a mutilated or mangled
version of Barbour or of Harvey. It may even have
been an attempt — not very successful, as one gathers
— to translate from the Latin Baston's panegyric
on Bruce. On such a subject it is impossible to
speak with confidence without knowing how the
verse reads. But at all events, compared with the
identification of chap-book writers, the search for the
proverbial needle in the bundle of hay would be a
pleasant recreation. S.
i6
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[July, 1906
742. Provost Brown of Aberdeen and the
Edinburgh Weekly Journal (2nd S., VII., 190).—
In a note to a fearfully interleaved copy of my
** Aberdeen Awa'," opposite p. 7, I find this in-
serted: — **In 1807 the Edinburgh Weekly Journal
was exposed for sale. It began in 1744, and William
Smellie became its editor, 1767. Its circulation was
1,500. Its receipts were: Sales ;f2,390, advertising
;f 1,055— total £'i'A55\ profits, ;f6oo. Mr. Wm.
Blackwood of Edinburgh and Mr. A. Brown of
Aberdeen jointly offered £"1,830 for the property,
but it was purchased by James Ballantyne, who
expected the aid of Sir Walter Scott, and got it.
In it were the letters of Malachi Malagrowther and
portions of the Waverley Novels. It ceased in 1848.
(See Norrie's "Edinburgh Newspapers," p. 20.)
That the shrewd Wm. Blackwood and Mr. Alexander
Brown, of Aberdeen, should have been combined in
this adventure bespeaks mutual confidence in each
other, and in the value of the property which Ballan-
tyne acquired." George Walker.
Xtterature.
The Scottish Clans and their Tartans^ with
Notes. Small 8vo. Edinburgh and London :
W. & A. K. Johnston, Limited. 1906. 2s. 6d.
The abiding interest pertaining to the tartans
and clan literature in general is the reason of
the appearance of an eighth edition of the above
handy work. This edition has been carefully
revised and brought down to date by that en-
thusiast, Mr. Henry Whyte (" Fio.in "), Glasgow,
whose name is a sufficient guarantee that it will
prove a reliable and trustworthy guide on the
subject.
Besides a map of Scotland showing the dis-
tribution of the clans in the sixteenth century,
there are included ninety-six fine illustrations of
tartans, which add so greatly to the permanent
interest and value of the new edition before us.
Its further value would be greatly enhanced
were the publishers to include a bibliography
of clan and regimental literature, a project,
perhaps, they may keep in view.
Inverness in the Fifteenth Century, I?y Evan
M. Barron. R. Carruthers & Sons, Publishers,
Inverness. 1906. [129 pp., crown 8vo. Price
2S.]
This volume enjoys the advantage of having
been partly rehearsed as public lectures, and of
having been already printed in the columns of
the Inverness Courier, The author is duly and
rightly impressed with the ancient importance
of Inverness among the towns of the North. In
his earlier chapters Mr. Barron has had to adopt
a somewhat conjectural tone, but later, with the
substantial help of ihe "Exchequer Rolls of
Scoiland''and several other important sources of
information, he has succeeded in investing his
narrative with a large amount of living interest.
Treated in the same way, the author may be
safely encouraged to continue his historical
researches somewhat further. The materials
continue abundant. The volume is well got up,
and is fully indexed.
Scots £ooft9 of tbe /IDontb.
Allaben, Frank. Concerning Genealogies: being
Suggestions of Value for ail interested in Family
History. Crown 8vo. 3s. Eliot Stock.
Johnston, Q, Harvey. Heraldry of the Stewarts,
with Notes on all the Males of the Family, Des-
criptions of the Arms, Plates, and Pedigrees.
With 8 Heraldic Plates in Gold and Colour. 4to.
Net, los. 6d. (Only 175 copies printed for sale,)
W. & A. K. Johnston, Ltd.
Macleod of Alacleod, Rev. R. C. The
Macleods: a Short Sketch of their Clan, History,
Folk-lore, Tales, and Biographical Notes of some
Eminent Clansmen. 7 Illustrations. 8vo. Net,
IS. 6d. Edinburgh : Clan Macleod Society.
Moncrieff, R. A. Hope. The Highlands and
Islands of Scotland. Painted by Wm. Smith, Jun.
40 Illustrations and Map. 4to. Net, los.
A. & C. Black.
Morris, Henry. The Life of John Murdoch,
LL.D. 8vo. Net, 3s. 6d.
London : Christian Literature Society for India.
Shaw, William A., Litt.D. The Knights of
England. 2 Vols. Large 4to. Net, 42s. (Several
Gordons mentioned.) Sherratt & Hughes.
Sinton, Rev. Thomas (Minister of Dores). The
Poetry of Badenoch : collected and edited, with
Translations, Introductions, and Notes. Crown
8vo. Net, 25s.
Inverness :
The Northern Counties Printing Co., Ltd.
NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.
All communications should be accompanied by an
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is the 25th of each month, copy should be in a few
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Printed and Published at The Rosemount PresB, Aberdeen.
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SCOTTISH
NOTES AND QUERIES.
Vol. VIII. 1 IVf o ^
2nd Series. J ^^^' ^'
August, 1906.
iU80IBTERED{gf«pM. ^_
CONTENTS.
Nonw :— Paob
Forfarshire at a Factor in Scottish Life and ThouRht 17
Inedited Poems by Leyden 21
An Act Naturalizing a Qordon 23
The Cant Family 24
Royal Visits to Aberdeen 25
Some Galloway Macs 27
MiNOE Notes:—
Cabrach Gordons 21
The Borestone a "Boar Stone "—" Brown's Deeside
Guide" 22
Marshal Keith 23
Cod bear— Rev. William Lensk— Anecdote of Napoleon 26
" Crawdoun " 28
Queries :—
Sir Hugh Halcrow- Grace before Meat — Adam
Donald— James Clyde, LL.D.— Glasgow Book 28
George Blair, M. A.— Moses Provan— Neil McAlpine
— Bemardus Paludanna — James Murdoch, Author 29
Answers :—
Leading Apes— Parody of " Bonnie Dundee— Barclay
of Ury— •• The Silver Eel" 29
Volunteer Officers of 1794-1808— Stewart or Stuart
Family— The Battles of Preston, Falkirk, and
Culloden — Provost Brown of Aberdeen and the
Edinburgh Weekly JowrruxZ— Grammar Schools. . . 30
Verses on Two Babes— Hutton, Hepburn, Lidderdale
— Cockbumspath— Rev. J. Brichan, Botanist 31
Dr. Stephen, Botanist 32
Uterat u re 32
Soots Books op the Month 32
ABERDEEN, AUGUST, igo6.
FORFARSHIRE AS A FACTOR IN
SCOTTISH LIFE AND THOUGHT.
The readers of the essays which I have contri-
buted to this periodical are aware that I believe
I have established the fact that among the Scot-
tish counties there is a select group of seven
which conspicuously outdistance their fellows in
respect to the number of notable persons bom
within their bounds. Forty years ago, when I
first classified the Scottish counties on the prin-
ciple indicated above, I found that the same
seven counties, which at present constitute this
select group, occtipied almost precisely the same
position as they hold to-day, although at that
time the notables appearing on my county list
were only 1,200 strong, as compared with the
huge host of 11,025 names that figure there
to-day. No doubt the order of precedence en-
joyed by several of these counties has varied
from time to time during the forty years and
more in which my investigations have been
going on. Thus, in 1866, this order stood as
follows : — I. Edinburgh ; 2. Aberdeen ; 3. Lan-
ark; 4. Fife ; 5. Ayr; 6. Perth ; 7. Forfar. To-
day, when I have almost ten times as many
names to classify as those whose birthplaces 1
had identified in 1866, I find that the order
in which the seven premier counties now range
themselves, when classified relatively to their
comparative fertility in men of distinction, differs
astonishingly little from the order which they
followed at that early date in my researches into
Ihe subject. Thus, if I may so express myself,
the order of merit which at present prevails
among Scotland's seven premier counties stands
as follows : —
1. Edinburgh with 1,203 notables.
2. Aberdeen with 1,141 notables.
3. Lanark with 869 notables.
4. Ayr with 755 notables.
5. Fife with 728 notables.
6. Forfar with 715 notables.
7. Perth with 661 notables.
This is an interesting and suggestive fact, and
seems to me strongly to confirm my belief in
the general accuracy of the conclusions which
I have reached and which at various times I
have set forth in the pages of this journal. In
this connection, may I venture to draw the
attention of my readers to a further remarkable
corroboration of my whole position in regard to
this question which is contained in a number of
carefully compiled statistics published last year
by Mr. George Stronach, of Edinburgh, in that
admirable religious and literary weekly called
T/ie Scottish Review, In the course of some
half-dozen articles, Mr Stronach surveys and
analyses the respective contributions of all the
Scottish shires to the national muster roll of
i8
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[August, 1906
eminence in all departments of intellectual merit
and achievement. His survey is, of course,
more restricted than mine, and is carried out
moreover on principles not exactly identical
with those that have guided me. Nevertheless,
having taken the trouble to sum up the total
results obtained by him in his analysis of the
six varieties of Scottish talent and achievement
whose representative men he has traced to their
natal counties, it has gratified me exceedingly
to discover that the order of merit of his seven
premier counties is almost exactly that which I
have stated above. Thus, he puis —
Edinburgh first with 413 notables ;
Aberdeen second with 345 notables ;
Lanark third with 265 notables ;
Forfar fourth with 205 notables ;
Ayr fifth with 203 notables ;
Fife sixth with 200 notables ;
Perth seventh with 1 56 notables.
I cannot help thinking that a fact like that I
have just stated imparts a solidity and a sense
of trustworthiness to the claim which I have so
often preferred on behalf of Scotland's seven
premier counties that few or none of my readers
will be inclined to canvass or resist.
I do not, however, expect the same general
agreement with my views when I proceed once
more to elaborate the theory which, in default
of a better, I am still inclined to propound, as
tending to explain, if it does not fully account
for, the intellectual superiority which some Scot-
tish districts exhibit over others in respect to
their relative productiveness of men of mark. I
assume, of course, that my readers are familiar
with the general outline of my views on this
matter, and therefore that they know that I
believe that we have a rational and credible
ground for thinking that the natives of each of
Scotland's seven premier counties, apart alto-
gether from any question of original racial
superiority, or of present social advantages
which they may be supposed to possess over
the natives of other Scottish counties, have, all
of them, as contrasted with regions less relatively
fertile in intellectual power, been called upon to
make special sacrifices and to perform unique
services on behalf of those particular ideals of
life and duty which from time to time have
gained the hearts and commanded the intellects
of the Scottish people as a whole, and that to
this fact I ascribe their pre-eminence over their
fellows.
In opposition to this view, it is, of course,
open to the objector to remark, as it has been
more than once remarked to myself, that it is
not surprising to find the prominent place as
regards their notable men occupied by the seven
counties I have described as so conspicuously
outdistancing their fellows in intellectual pro-
ductiveness, seeing that they are all among the
largest as well as the most populous of Scottish
counties. But, while I do not deny that there
is some force in the objection just stated, never-
theless I believe it is a mistake to exaggerate
its importance. Thus, while it is true that, as
regards their superficial area, three of my elect
group of Scottish counties do appear among the
seven Scottish counties that are territorially the
largest, viz., Perth, Aberdeen and Ayr, which
rank respectively fourth, sixth, and seventh as
regards the matter of their size, yet it should be
borne in mind that the four really largest Scot-
tish counties all belong to the Highlands, are
inhabited almost exclusively by Celts, and are
represented by Inverness, the largest of all, by
Argyll, which ranks second in superficial area,
and by Ross and Sutherland, which rank re-
spectively third and fifth in this particular. It
is, moreover, worth noticing that not one of
these counties, with the exception of Argyll, has
produced relatively either to its size or its
population as many notables as, all things being
equal, we might reasonably have expected from
it. On the other hand, it is equally note-
worthy that four of that group of Scottish
counties which my statistics show to have been
pre-eminently worthy alike intellectually and
spiritually, are seen, when considered in relation
to their superficial area, to occupy a position
relatively very low, Forfar, for example, ranking
only tenth, Lanark eleventh, Fife sixteenth, and
Edinburgh twenty-second in this respect.
On the other hand it must be admitted that,
when considered from the point of view of their
relative populousness, a stronger case may be
made out on behalf of this objection above
indicated. For it is undoubtedly true that at
the last census, and, indeed, at every census
taken since 1801 as well as in 1755 ^^^ i79o-Sy
at least six of my elect counties have always
figured among the first seven most populous
Scottish counties. These six, it is true, have
not always been the same counties. Thus, in
connection with an estimated census taken by
the parish ministers of Scotland in 1755 ^^^
again in 1790-8, Ayrshire ranked in the one
instance eighth and in the other ninth on the
list of Scottish counties as regards the number
of its inhabitants. On the other hand, it is an
interesting fact that from 1801, the date of the
first imperial census, up till 1831, my elect seven
counties and the most populous seven turn out
to be the same. In 1831, however, a change
occurred. For, relatively to its population, Fife
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
19
in that year slipped down to the eighth place,
while Renfrew took the seventh place, a place
which that county has not only since held, but
has improved. Thus, at the last census in 1901
Renfrew ranked fifth among the counties of
Scotland as regards its population, while Perth
had altogether fallen out of the group, a con-
dition of things which, so far as that county is
concerned, has prevailed ever since 1841, at which
date Fife was restored to its former place of
honour, while Perth contemporaneously stepped
down from its pedestal. It is not, therefore,
solely due to their populousness that the seven
counties, which I am wont to reckon among
Scotland's elect counties, occupy the prominent
position that ihey do.
I have already shown, in my essays on Ayr,
Aberdeen, and Berwick, that one at least of the
causes, and, in my judgment, not the least
important of the causes, producing the nobler
type of manhood discovered in these counties
has probably, if not certainly, been the large part
which at certain critical moments in the nation's
history was taken by the natives of these dis-
tricts in the toils and sacrifices, the martyrdoms
and conflicts by which our political and religious
liberties have been gained and maintained. If
I can show, therefore, that in the case of Forfar-
shire also a similar state of things prevails, I
will have gone at least some length to corro-
borate the general position which, as the result
of a prolonged study of Scottish history and
Scottish biography, I have come to take up.
Now, this claim on behalf of Forfarshire is one
which I will have no difHculty in establishing.
For no one can carefully scrutinise a work like
the " Historic Scenes in Forfarshire," by the
late Dr. Marshall of Coupar--A.ngus, or like "The
Land of the Lindsays," by Dr. Jervise, or Alex-
ander Warden's " History of Forfarshire," with-
out being deeply impressed with the notable and
influential part in our national history that has
been played alike by the leaders of the people
identified with this district and by the rank and
file that followed them. For there is not a
parish in the county which is not by these
writers shown to hold the site of some ancient
battlefields, or of some old castles and houses,
full of historical interest and recalling the names
and renown of families whose characters and
achievements tended to the fate and influenced
the feelings of the whole nation, while the books
themselves are replete with ancedotes of memor-
able incidents, resulting from party strife or
connected with desperate attempts to keep or
regain power, and entailing the rismg and falling
of families or of private individuals as they
followed the ruling spirits of the times. And
no one, I am sure, can read these volumes with
open mind and not come to the conclusion that
both the county and the people there delineated
have strongly marked characteristics of their
own. Specially I think this is seen to be true
of the people. For there is a striking and
enduring individuality everywhere discernible in
the literature dealing with the men of Angus,
an individuality which the peculiarity of their
dialect tends to accentuate. This fact comes
out with a photographic intensity that is abso-
lutely demonstrative in the writmgs of perhaps
the greatest of living Scots novelists, himself a
native of Angus, and the popular delineator of
the social life of Thrums. For who can read
the graphic sketches of character with which
every one of Mr. Barrie's books is filled without
recognising that the district which can produce
men and women of the robust and abiding
individuality therein depicted must be one
which, beyond many in Scotland, is inhabited
by a race of rare distiuction and force of
character.
Into the causes that have developed the out-
spoken candour, the intrepid honesty, the shy
and proud self-respect, the tender pathos, the
overflowing humour, and the strong sagacity
and hard, common sense that are so abundant
among the people of this shire, I cannot enter
at length. But I think it worth while observing
that the soil of Forfarshire bears token, as few
Scottish shires do, to the number and variety of
the races that at different times have occupied
it. Thus, no other Scottish county, I believe,
contains so many memorials of vanished races.
The strange weems or underground residences,
the homes of a long-forgotten tribe of troglo-
dytes, are here both more numerous and in
better preservation than in any other part of
Scotland. Then there are Roman and British
camps in considerable numbers and in excellent
condition. Vitrified forts, too, are still to be
met with on many of the hillsides, and the
cromlechs and Druid circles, which point back
to the religious rites of our ancient Celtic and
Pictish forefathers, are by no means uncommon.
Then, again, there are antiquaries who hold that
in the strange, undeciphered sculptured stones
which are particularly plentiful in this district
we have indication of the conquest of this region
by an early and now-forgotten race, who, per-
haps, first brought the arts of agriculture into
these valleys, and dispossessed the nomadic
tribes of hunters and fishers by whom they were
originally occupied. Personally, however, I must
remark here that I altogether dissent from the
view I have just indicated, believing, as I do,
with most recent writers on this subject, that
20
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[August, 1906
these stones are really memorials of the early
Christian period in Scotland, and that they are
the product of the art of the Picts as affected by
the religious influences communicated to them
by the Culdee or Scottish missionaries by whom
the Gospel was introduced into the North of
Scotland. Certain at least it is that we have
in Brechin, and particularly in the Round Tower
of that ancient town, evident traces of the exist-
ence there of a former seat of the Culdee faith
and worship, while in the numerous sculptured
stones found in Aberlemno, Arbroath, St.
Vigeans, Menmuir, and other parishes we have
tokens of the hold which at a comparatively
early period ihe Culdee missionaries obtained
over the rude Pictish tribes who occupied the
territory between the Tay and the Spey. Finally
here, I would remark that there is not a parish
on the Angus seaboard which has not memories
of the constant Danish and Norse invasions
which, from the eighth to the eleventh century,
led to so many bloody conflicts between the
inhabitants of those seaside regions and these
fierce Vikings. Every parish here had, indeed,
its own battlefield, in which sometimes the Scots
and sometimes the Danes are said to have pre-
vailed, while the invading Angle or Saxon, too,
has no less indelibly given proof of his un-
welcome presence. For, in the parish of Dun-
nichen, the site of a great battle is still pointed
out, in which Egfrid, King of the Angles of
Northumbria, was defeated and slain in the year
685. Similarly, the later rivalry between the
Scots and the Picts which closed in the victory
of the former ; and the blending of both king-
doms under the sceptre of Kenneth M*Alpine
has also stamped its memories behind it in the
sites of battles fought at Auchterhouse, Re-
stennet, Rescobie, and elsewhere in the shire.
It is quite clear, therefore, that during the long,
dark ages in which the diverse hostile tribes
and races that ultimately united to form the
present Scottish nation were wrestling together
for predominance, this little nook of Scottish
soil had probably more than its share of the
agony of the strife, and certainly saw as much
as any other Scottish shire did of " the drums
and tramplings" that preceded and led up to
the final consolidation of the Scottish kingdom
in the line of Kenneth.
But, deep as must have been the impression
left on the people of this region by the strenuous
and anxious life that, as I have shown, they were
forced for many pre-historic centuries to lead,
yet personally I have been in the habit of thinking
that it was not in these early ages, but rather
in the conflict which for three centuries Scotland
carried on against the superior might of Eng-
land, that the Scottish people gained, as a race,
that unconquerable will, that spirit of patient and
resolute self-denial, and that capacity alike for
labour and for sacrifice which have made them
play so large and worthy a part in the subse-
quent development and expansion of the British
Empire. And in this connection I reckon it as
a considerable confirmation of my views that For-
farshire, though far removed from the Border-
land, which was the chief scene of the strife
between the two countries, yet took a very active
part in the whole course of this protracted con-
flict. The patriot Wallace, it is well known,
obtained much of his early training in Dundee,
in this shire, and it was here, too, that he gave
the first sign of his being the destined deliverer
of his country. For, on being rudely insulted
by young Selby, the son of the English governor
of that town, the high-spirited Scottish youth,
unable to brook such insolence, rose upon his
oppressor, and in an instant the haughty
Southron lay at the hero's feet bleeding and
dying. From that hour Wallace was the sworn
foe of the tyrant oppressors of his native land,
and, beginning immediately thereafter, his career
as a guerilla leader of other men as desperate
enemies of the English as himself, in two years'
time he was able to return to the captive town
where he had been so roughly used, and to
liberate it from its bonds. I may add here that
among the Scottish hero's most gallant sup-
porters was a native of Dundee, Alexander
Scrimgeour by name, . whom Wallace made
Hereditary Constable of Scotland as a reward
for his services. Nor was this the only Forfar-
shire scene in which noble deeds were done
during the War of Independence : almost every
important town in Angus has its own stirring
memories in connection with the strife, for
they were all both taken and re-taken more
than once in the course of the conflict, while, as
is well known, it was in the Abbey of Arbroath,
in 1320, that Robert the Bruce held that Parlia-
ment which so nobly declared Scotland's inde-
pendence and embodied the declaration in a
remonstrance to the Pope, the reading of which
is said to have made even that haughty ecclesi-
astic tremble. The remonstrance was written
by Bernard of Linton, then Chancellor of Scot-
land and Abbot of Arbroath. As is well-known,
the occasion of the remonstrance was the action
of the Pope on behalf of the English king. For
Edward II., having in vain attempted to subdue
Scotland by force, had, it seems, sought, and
not unsuccessfully, to enlist the Church of Rome
on his side. The Pope suffered himself to be
bribed, and, for the sake of England's gold, the
servile and venal John XXII. made himself the
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
21
ready tool of England's ambition. He com-
manded a two years' truce between England
and Scotland, studiously, however, withholding
from Bruce the title of king. That monarch,
therefore, disrejjarded the truce when it was
proclaimed, alleging that the Robert Bruce
addressed might be some person among his
barons who bore the same name as himself,
and that, at all events, he could receive no
communication that was not addressed to him-
self personally under the title of king. Enraged
at such high-spirited conduct, the Holy Father
then emitted the thunder of his excommuni-
cation against Bruce and his adherents. But
this act only roused the indignation of Scotland
to the highest pitch, and the Parliament of 1320
gave voice to it in a manifesto whose terms
and tones yet awaken responsive echoes in the
bosom of all their descendants worthy of such a
parentage. 1 have no space to give a full
analysis of this memorable State document, but
I must find room for its closing words, where,
after avowing their determination to stand by
their crowned king as their rightful sworn lord
so long as he continues to champion their
national independence, the lords and barons in
Parliament assembled proceed emphatically to
declare that if their king should fail them in
this matter they would at once disown him and
renounce their allegiance. For, said they, "If
he should show an inclination to subject us or
our kingdom to the King of England or to his
people, then we declare that we shall use our
utmost effort to expel him from the throne as our
enemy and the subverter of his own and of our
right, and we will chose another king to reign
over us, who will be able to defend us, for as
long as a hundred Scotsmen are left alive we
will never be subject to the dominion of Eng-
land. It is not for glory, riches, or honour that
we fight, but for that liberty which no good man
will consent to lose but with his life."
(To be continued).
INEDITED POEMS BY LEYDEN.
Cabr.\ch Gordons.— Charles Gordon of the
Reekimlane (or, rather, Daugh family), who was
educated at the Grammar School, Aberdeen, is
married to Isabella Grant, daughter of Major
William Grant, j.P., distiller, Balvenie House,
Dufftown, and represents that firm in Black-
bum. He has —
William Grant Gordon.
Janet Sheed (Gordon.
Elizabeth Grant Gordon.
J. M. B.
In the centenary edition of Leyden's poems
(1875), undertaken by Mr. Thomas Brown for
the Edinburgh Borderers' Union, it is stated to
be "an issue of his complete poetical works."
I do not think that it can fairly claim to be that,
for I miss several pieces by the great Orientalist
which should have been there. First of all,
Leyden's droll epistle to Scott, written at Lon-
don in January, 1803, descriptive of an interview
with Mr. George Ellis, the antiquary and editor
of "Early English Romances." It is a clever
imitation of one of those metrical tales of the
fourteenth century which Ellis had recently
published. As Lockhart, a very fastidious man,
had inserted it in his " Life of Sir Walter Scott,"
it ought to have been included in a complete
edition of Leyden's verse. Then, again, there
are the verses to Mrs. Buller, written in Calcutta
in 181 1, the year of his death in Java. I copy
them from Froude's " Life of Carlyle," Vol. I. —
probably they were transcribed by Carlyle him-
self when acting as tutor to Charles Buller, who
was born in Calcutta. Leyden compliments the
lady thus : —
On Seeing Mrs. Buller in a Highland
Dress.
That bonnet*s pride, that tartan's flow,
My soul with wild emotion fills ;
Methinks I see in fancy's glow
A princess from the Land of Hills.
Oh for a fairy's hand to trace
The rainbow tints that rise to view !
That slender form of sweeter grace
Than e'er Malvina's poet drew.
Her brilliant eye, her streaming hair,
Her skin's soft splendours do display
The finest pencil must despair
Till it can paint the solar ray.
But a more unaccountable omission is that of
several sonnets which he contributed to the
Edinbuf^h Annual Register for 18 10. They
are ^\^ m number, two of which, considerably
altered, are in Brown's book ("The Sabbath"
and "Parting with a Friend"), but the other
three are not there at all. The Register was con-
ducted by Scott and the Ballantynes, and likely
enough Leyden forwarded the pieces from India.
They are heralded in large type : " Sonnets,
by Ur. John Leyden," so there is no room for
doubt. Of the three sonnets omitted one is on
"Memory," another on "The Lark," but the
third, which has a melancholy interest to the
lovers of genius prematurely cut off, ought to
have been preserved from oblivion. I subjoin
it: —
22
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[August, 1906
Sonnet to a Mossy Gravestone in Cavers
Churchyard.
Where waves the grass beneath yon cypress' shade,
A shapeless, mossy, time-corroded stone,
Rain-driird, with furrowy surface, stands alone :
I wish my head at last may there be laid,
Without sepulchral pomp or vain parade.
Such mockery the dead refuse to own,
111 suited to the unseemly yellow bone
That lies beneath the grassy rind to fade.
Yet there the peasant's sober steps shall pass
Whene'er the sacred Sabbath morn shall rise,
And the slow bell to morning prayer shall toll ;
And while his staff divides the rustling grass,
** Here sleeps a youth unknown to fame!" he cries —
" Calm be his sleep, and Heaven receive his soul ! "
This was not to be, for, as Scott sings —
A distant and a deadly shore
Has Leyden's cold remains.
Readers will remember the closing lines of the
"Scenes of Infancy": —
Rash youth ! unmindful of thy early days,
Why didst thou quit the peasant's simple lot ?
Why didst thou leave the peasant's turf-built cot.
The ancient graves where all thy fathers lie,
And Teviot's stream that long has murmured by ?
Rash youth, beware! Thy home-bred virtues save.
And sweetly sleep in thy paternal grave.
I got my copy of the Ref^ister here in Melbourne
at an old bookstall, and probably there may be
other poems by Leyden in previous numbers.
There is no copy of this poet in our public
library, and indeed there are very few of any
Scottish poet, therefore I do not know if the
poems I have specified are in any other edition
of Leyden. There is a spurious song, which
appeared in the Scots Magazine of 1808, attri-
buted to him — a "Farewell to the Banks of the
Ken," in Galloway, mainly on account of this
verse : —
With aching heart, with frenzied soul,
I quit the Ken's meandering tide ;
I go where Indian oceans roll.
Where Ganges and Hydaspes glide.
Some Galloway bard will probably father this
effusion, but I am confident that Leyden did
not write it. Probably some of your readers
may know of more inedited poems.
I was almost forgetting some eulogistic lines
addressed to Anne, daughter of Dr. Robert
Anderson, an Edinburgh literary magnate at the
beginning of last century. The lady became
the wife of David Irving, LL.D., and on her
death in 1812 he published a memorial volume,
dedicated to Principal Brown of Aberdeen Uni-
versity, which contained verses by Leyden, Alex.
Murray, David Carey, and others. I have not
seen that book, but I do not think "The Dryad's
Warning," which Leyden sent to Dr. Anderson,
could be the verses specified.
Finally, I would like to know who was the
"Aurelia" of Leyden's muse. He has embalmed
her name in the " Scenes of Infancy," and else-
where writes of her in a most impassioned strain.
She must have been some bonnie Scottish lassie
of whom he was enamoured.
Melbourne, Australia.
*
Alba.
The Borestone a "Boar Stone." — The
theory is advanced by Mr. John Allan, a well-
known Stirling architect, that the Borestone at
Bannockbum is a stone of sacrifice — for boars,
among other animals — dating from ages whereof
we have no written record. Mr. Allan points
to the antique remains with which the spot is
surrounded, the situation of the stone itself,
and the likeness of the stone to sacrificial stones
scattered all over the country. He regards it
as highly probable that a Christian cross was
erected on the stone in the tenth or eleventh
century in order to hallow it. Hence Bruce's
choice of the locus for rearing his standard.
Mr. Allan purposes reading a paper on the sub-
ject to the local Archaeological Society, which
possesses some very competent critics. Hitherto
the popular belief has been that the Borestone
took its name simply from the bore, or orifice,
in it, and that Bruce had drilled the hole to
receive the pole of his standard. — Aberdeen
Daily Journal^ 7th July, 1906.
" Proposals " have just been issued by Messrs,
Oliphant, Anderson, & Ferrier for the publica-
tion of a " History of the Tron Kirk and Parish
of Edinburgh," by the Rev. Dugald Butler,
M.A., minister of the Tron Kirk. The work is
to be in crown quarto, well printed and illus-
trated — promises that may be relied on, coming
from such experts as are both author and pub-
lishers.
"Brown's Deesjde Guide" (2nd S., VII.,
187). — Mr. Robert Anderson writes: — I have a
note from Mr. William Walker, 65 Argyll Place,
who says : — " It may confirm your suggestion
that the * Deeside Guide' was published in 1832,
to know that the late Professor Child, of Har-
vard, once wrote me that he had Joseph Robert-
son's own interleaved copy of the book, and that
there was written on the fly-leaf, in Robertson's
own hand: 'Written hurriedly in supply of the
press in April and May, 1832.— J. R'"
Vol. VIII., 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
23
AN ACT NATURALIZING A GORDON.
Strange as it may appear, it was formerly
necessary for a foreigner to have an Act of
Parliament passed in order to become natural-
ized. A case in point is the private Act for
naturalizing Maria Gordon, otherwise Allan,
spinster, March 7, 1796. (36 George III., No.
69.) The Act never seems to have been printed,
and the only copy in existence is the manuscript
one in the House of Lords Library, which I
have had copied, sending the official copy to
(ill up the gap in the collection of Private Acts
of Parliament in the British Museum. The
document is as follows : —
Humbly Beseecheth your Most Excellent
Majesty, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and
Commons in this present Parliament assembled,
Maria Gordon, otherwise Allan, Spinster, born
at Petersburgh in Russia, out of your Majesty's
allegiance, professing the true Protestant Reli^on,
and having given Testimony of her Loyalty and
Fidelity to your Majesty and the good of the
Kingdom of Great Britain, That it may be En-
acted AND be it Enacted by the King's Most
Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and
consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and
Commons in this present Parliament assembled,
and by the authority of the same. That she, the
said Maria Gordon, otherwise Allan, shall be
and is hereby from henceforth Naturalized, and
shall be adjudged and taken to all Intents and
Purposes to be Naturalized, and as a free born
Subject of this Kingdom of Great Britain, and
she shall be from henceforth adjudged, reputed,
and taken to be in every Condition, Respect, and
Degree free to all Intents, Purposes, and Con-
structions as if she had been born a natural Sub-
ject within this Kingdon of Great Britain. And
be it further Enacted, Declared, and Ordained by
the Authority aforesaid. That she, the said Maria
Gordon, otherwise Allan, shall be, and she is
hereby enabled and abjudged able to all Intents,
Purposes, and Constructions whatsoever, to inherit
and be inheritable and inherited, and to demand,
challenge, ask, take, retain, have, and enjoy all
or any Manors, Lands, Tenements, or Heredita-
ments, Goods, Chattels, Debts, Estates, and all
other Privileges and Immunities, Benefits, and
Advantages in Law and Equity belonging to the
Liege people and natural born Subjects of this
Kingdom, and to make her resort or Pedigree as
Heir to her Ancestors lineal or collateral, by reason
of any Descent, Remainder, Reverter, Right, Title,
Conveyance, Legacy, or Bequest whatsoever,
which hath, may, or shall from henceforth descend,
remain, revert, accrue, or grow due unto her, as
also from henceforth to take, have, retain, keep,
and enjoy all Manors, Lands, Tenements, and
Hereditaments which she shall have by way of
purchase or Gift of any Person or Persons whom-
soever, and to prosecute, pursue, maintain, avow,
justify, and defend all and all Manner of Actions,
Suits, and Causes, and all other things to do as
lawfully, liberally, freely, and surely as if she had
been born of British parents within this Kingdom,
and as any Person or Persons born or derived
from British parents within this Kmgdom may
lawfully in any wise do, and she, the said Maria
Gordon, otherwise Allan, in all Things and to
all Intents and Purposes shall be taken to be and
shall be a Natural Liege Subject of this Kingdom
of Great Britain, any Law, Act, Statute, Pro-
vision, Custom, Ordinance, or other Matter or
Thing whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding.
And be it further Enacted that she, the said
Maria Gordon, otherwise Allan, shall not here-
by be enabled to have any Grant of Lands, Tene-
ments, or Hereditaments from the Crown to
herself or any other Person or Persons in Trust
for her, any Thing herein contained to the con-
trary notwithstanding. And be it further Enacted
That she, the said Maria Gordon, otherwise
Allan, shall not hereby obtain or become intitled
to claim within any Foreign Country any of the
immunities and Indulgencies in Trade, which are,
or may be, enjoyed or claimed therein by natural
born British Subjects by virtue of any Treaty or
otherwise, unless she, the said Maria Gordon,
otherwise Allan, shall have inhabited and resided
within Great Britain or the Dominions thereunto
belonging, for the Space of Seven Years subse-
quent to the first Day of this present Session of
Parliament, and shall not have been absent out of
the same for a longer Space than two Months at
any one time during the said Seven years, any
Thing herein contained to the contrary notwith-
standing.
It would be interesting to know who Maria
Gordon, otherwise Allan, spinster, was. It is
difficult to decide whether her real name was
Gordon or Allan.
J. M. Bulloch.
74ARSHAL Keith.— The name of Keith is as
great a crux in pronunciation to the German as
tub is to a Durham yokel, the first being sounded
Kite and the latter toob, I wished to see the
statue to our countryman in Kaiser Wilhelm
Platz, Berlin, a replica of which is, I understand,
in Peterhead. When I said Keith, my German
guide asseverated there was never anyone of
that name associated with the great Fritz. I
spelt out the word, and he laughed as he said,
"Ach ! You means Von Kite ! Der teufel ! Vat
you call him Keess for?" I was then taken to
the Platz and saw the statue, and portraits after-
wards in the Arsenal at Berlin and San Souci
Palace. Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
24
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[August, 1906
THE CANT FAMILY.
I was much interested in the article by "Alba"
in Scottish Notes and (Juertcs, Vol. VII., 2nd
Series, p. 162, and as I happen at present to be
engaged upon another work which occasions
my having the Edinburgh University copy of
the "Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scot,
1 513-1546,'* in my possession, I have gone over
it and noted all the charters which refer to the
family in question. A brief glance over these
may not be void of interest, and should be of
value as an aid to anyone at present engaged
in working out the Cant genealogy.
Taking them in chronological order, the first
charter referring to a Cant is No. 2, dated at
Edinburgh, October 2, 1513, by which the king
(James V-), grants to Mariote Brown, her heirs
and assignees, on account of her husband having
been slain in battle while in the king's service,
along with several other items, "terram sive
locum habitationis ex parte boreali dicti burgi
[Edinburgh] infra tenementum quond. Henrici
Cant, extenden ad 13 mere, unde exibant 8
mere." Two years later, viz., on 14th July, 151 5,
" Rex &c. concessit Johanni Cant incole ville de
Leilh, heredibus ejus et assignatis, — tenementum
terre in dicta villa ex parte austral i acjue ejusdem
. . . Guod pertinebat quond. Johanni Patersoun,
tent, de abbate et conventu de Melrose in feodi-
firma pro 30 sol. annuatim, et post mortem dicti
J oh. concessum fuit per diet abbatem, &c."
The next charter in the Register refers pre-
sumably to the John Cant, burgess in Edinburgh,
mentioned by " Alba " as the benefactor to St
Anthony's Chapel, and as it is of some interest
I propose to give it in full : — "Apud Edinburgh,
25 Maii, 1 5 17. Rex, &c., ad manum mortuam
confirmavit cartam Johannis Cant, burgensis de
Edinburgh ac dom. terrarum subscriptarum, —
[qua, — cum consensu Agnetis Kerkettill sponse
sue, necnon D. Joh. Craufurd capellani qui dictas
terras de dicto Joh. tenuit, — in puram elimosinam
concessit Josine Henrisoun ceterisque consorori-
bus Ordinis S. Dominici S. Katherine de
Cenis vulgariter nuncupat, in loco earum apud
ecclesiam S. Johannis Baptiste super terras dicti
Joh. Craufurd fundat Deo servientibus, earum-
que successoribus, — 18 acras terrarum arabilium
edificatarum et vastarum messuagii B. Egidii,
jacen. inter ceteras suas terras de Sanct-Gelis-
grange et terras communis more Edinburgi,
vie. Edinburgh ; cum jure patronatus, proficuo,
&c., dicte ecclesie per dictum Joh. Craufurde
fundate;— quas dictus Joh. Craufurd personaliter
resignavit :— Reddend annuatim 10 mercas
capellano altaris S. Stephani in ecclesia metro-
politana Glasguen ; necnon cantado altam mis-
sam &c. : — Reservato libero tenemento dicto
Joh. Craufurde:— Test, &c. . . . — Apudburgum
de Edinburgh, 17 Apr. 1517]:— Insuper ratifi-
cavit omnes cartas &c., dictis Sororibus factas :
Test, &c."
This transaction is thus referred to in the
Burgh Records of Edinburgh, under date 5lh
January, 15 16- 17 : — "The quhilk day Schir
Johne Craufurd, fundour pat rone and cha plane
of Sanct Johnis Kirk of the Burrowmure of
Edinburgh, translatis and adnullis the funda-
tioun and mortificatioun maid of befor, that is
to say, that the said Schir Johne Craufurd gaif
the said kirk, kirkyard, with housis biggit and
to be biggit, yard, and all his land and akris
byand thairto, contenit in his said first fundation
and mortification, to Jasina Henrison and to
the laif of the sistoris of thar ordour of Saint
Katherine de Senis, thai garrand sing thare hie
mes and antiphone of our Lady dailie, and uther
suffrage for hys and thare saulis, etc, etc. . . .
Te^tibus, dommo Georgeo Newton archideacono
Dunblanenai, fratri Johanne Spens, prouinciale
ordinis fratrum predicatorum, magistro Johanne
Rynd, dominis Johanne Cant, Johanne Lithgow,
capellanis Jacobo Goldsmyth, Andrea Johnes-
ton, F'rancisco Blakstok, Johanne Andirson."
Cant's Close referred to by "Alba" was not
named from this John Cant, as, under date 4th
October, 15 14, in the same Records, we find
that, " for eschewing of this contagious sickness
of pestilence be (joddis grace," the provost,
bailies, and council ordained that the town be
divided into four quarters to be assigned to four
bailies, etc. The first quarter was to be "frae
the Castelhill to Alexander Cant's Close," and
the second "fra Alexander Cant's Close to Leyth
Wynd," and so on. Who this Alexander Cant
was I have not yet discovered. There, however,
is an entry in the Records at 3rd September,
1535 : — "Katherein Mayne, convict, to deid for
airt and pairt of the slawchter of Alexander
Cant, hir husband, the dome gevin, and execu-
tion deferrit quhill scho wer lichter. In the
convict buik of that daitt."
Again, by a charter dated loth June, 1526,
"terras quondam Hen. Cant senioris," is specified
as adjoining " terram ex parte boreali vici regii,"
in Edinburgh, which the ktng granted to Archi-
bald Douglas, senior burgess of Edinburgh, and
Isabella Hoppare, his spouse. The same Hen.
Cant, in January, 1527-8, is again immortalised
for a similar reason ; and in a charter dated
23rd March of the same year, a "Henricus Cant
de Ovir-Libertoun " (whether the same Henry
as the above, I do not know), as having sold
to Robert Bruce of Wester- By nnyng, "annuum
redditum 2 marcarum de terris ville de Ovir-
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
25
Goger acmolendinoearundem,vic. Edinburgh."
This is witnessed by "M. Math. Cant consan-
guineo dicti Hen."
In a charter dated Glasgow, 25th July, 1528,
we find D. Hen. Cant mentioned as having
witnessed one relating to the lands of Carpow in
the barony of Abernethy, county Perth, which
was dated in Dundee, ist February, 1524. Also
in a deed dated at Edinburgh, loth May, 1529,
he is again referred to as a witness of the charter
by which a part of the lands of Finlarg, in the
county of Forfar, was sold to William Carmichael
of Carpow, and Isabella RoUak, his spouse. This
also was dated in Dundee (8th May, 1529), and
yet again on 13th March, 1530, he witnesses the
charter "apudburgum de Dunde," by which the
above William Carmichael, with the consent of
Isabella Rollak, his spouse, concedes to William,
his nephew, the son and heir of the late Alex-
ander Carmichael, burgess of Dundee, and to
the lawful heirs male of his body, etc., the
western half of the lands of Ethibetoun, in the
barony of Kerymure, county Forfar. This also
is mentioned in a charter given at Edinburgh,
loth April, 1531. I do not suppose this Henry
to be a near connection of the Edinburgh family
referred to in the earlier documents. He was
more probably a relation or progenitor of the
famous Rev. Andrew Cant. It would be inter-
esting to learn what was his connection with the
Carmichaels of Carpow. Perhaps someone may
be able to throw a little light on these matters.
W. Saunders.
I Summerbank,
Edinburgh.
( To be continued).
ROYAL VISITS TO ABERDEEN.
Address to Charles II.
In view of the approaching inauguration of
the new Marischal College buildings by King
Edward VII., it is interesting to note that two
centuries and a half have elapsed since one of
our kings last visited the Granite City.
On Thursday, 27th June, 1650, Charles II.,
accompanied by his mistress, Lucy Walters,
arrived in Aberdeen, having landed at Spey-
mouth on the previous Monday. He was re-
ceived with the greatest loyalty, "though very
few persons of quality were admitted to him,
being most either malignants or engagers. He
was lodged in a merchant's house opposite to
the Tolbooth, on which was affixed one of the
hands of the most incomparable Montrose.
Here he stayed but one night The next day
being Friday, he passed to Dunotor.'*^ Kennedy,
in his "Annals" (II., 404), records the rebuke
administered to the king for his gallantries by
Dr. William Douglas, concluding with the advice
to the monarch in future — to close his windows.
On 25th February following Charles returned
to Aberdeen, and was the guest of the town for
a week.' On this occasion he conferred the
honour of knighthood both on the provost in
office, Robert Farquhar of Mounie, and on his
predecessor, ex-provost Patrick Leslie of I den.
Aberdonian loyalty was again evidenced at the
Restoration, in the address presented to King
Charles by the graduating class of King's
College, in the following terms : —
Augustissimo, Illustrissimo, et Serenissimo Mon-
archic,
CAROLO SECUNDO,
Dei Gratia Magna Britanni.c, Francis et
HlBERNIiE ReGI, FiDEI DeFENSORI, ETC.,
CoLLEGii Regii Universitatis Aberdonensis
Patrono Magnificentissimo.
S. p. D. C.
DuM omnium ordinum subditi tui (Monarcha
Invictissime) de reditu et adventu hoc foelicissimo
variis sua gaudia modis testari certant semuli, adeo
omnem implevere | paginam, ut nihil nobis hujus
TuA REGii£ AcADEMi.c alumnis reliquum fecerint.
Cogimur itaque (apage cogimur), imo jucundissimam
necessitatem laeti amplectimur, | grato et spontaneo
animo, cum Philosophi Socratis discipulo illo egeno,
quod nobis tantum superest, nosmetipsos, et omnia
quae nostra sunt, quod sumus, quod possumus
Majestati oiferimus | Vestra, quantum hujus
scedulae exiguitas patitur, ingenue testamur et
profitemur nos in Te, per Te, a Te, et de Te, unico
et solo tanquam capite tenere et pendere: Tibi
tanquam Sue- | cessori et HiCREDi iudubitato prae-
decessorum tuorum Scotia Regum, omniaque
nobis grata et chara sunt, nostra moenia, nostra
munia, beneficia officia debemus, cuncta Tibi | et
illis accepta referimus. Magnipicentissime Pat-
rone et Regie Parens, haec nostra juvenilia sereno
et placido vultu, accipere digneris, quae etsi nihil
praeter cando- | rem, humilitatem et simplicitatem
sapiant si tamen deessent et nos taceremus pueri,
proculdubio tigna et lapides hujus tui Athenaei
erumperent. Verum si Sacra Vestra Majes- |
TATi visum fuerit, aut per otium licuerit paululum
intueri aliorum quorundam, ex hoc etiam Collegio
Tuo, affectus sinceros, in concionibus sacris, et
publicis theatris expressos, spera- | mus quod nostrae
tenuitati deest, abunde compensatum iri; licet et
ilia sint CirrhcL procul et Parmesside Lymphs, pene
sub Arctoi sydere nata poli ; nee Te digna satis nee
1 Walker's " Historical Diacourses," p. 160.
3 Balfour's "Annals," IV., p. 247.
26
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[August, 1906
satis apta Tibi An- | gustus hisce inclusi, nunc
penitus inviti cogimur aspectu S. D. N. nos sub-
trahere, et ad pugnam Philosophicam, sub tuis sacris
auspciis \iic\ nos accingere. Omnipotens Deus,
Rex regum, et Domi- | nus dominantio, qui regit
aetherei radiantia sydera Coeli, S. V. Majestaiem
incolumem, ter et amplius foelicem, necnon et
magno majorem Carolo praestet, thronum vestrum
justitid et ae- | quitate stabiliat, et diu ac foeliciter
nobis nostrisque posteris praeesse velit, et natorum
natos per omnia labentia saecula lucida volventur
nitido dum sydera Coelo, et post Sceptra terrestria
im- I marcescibiiem V. Majestati coronam largia-
tur. Haec supplices orant | S. V. Majestatis |
humillimi servi, et omnibus mancipii vincuHs devot-
issimi clientes ac oratores. |
D. Robertus Gordonus, Alexander Urquhartus,
Andreas Dalgardinaeus, Georgius Ruddachus, Guliel-
mus Dalgardinaeus, Gulielmus Davidsonus, Guliel-
mus Joassaeus, Gulielmus Mackfinnanus, Gulielmus
Robertsonus, Gulielmus Torraeus, lacobus Abelus,
lacobus Stuartus, loannes Forbesius, loannes
Mackraeius, loannes Wakerus, Patricius Turnebullus,
Robertus Martinus, Robertus Robertsonus, Robertus
Strachanus, Robertus Tarresius.
The address is now reprinted from the unique
copy of the original print preserved in the Bod-
leian Library, of which a transcript has been
supplied to me through the courtesy of Mr.
F. A. Madan. The names appended are those
of the King's College magistrands of 1660.
(" Officers and Graduates," p. 195.)
P. J. Anderson.
Cudbear. — The specification (No. 727) for
the patent method of making "cudbear" (dated
1758), granted to George Gordon, coppersmith,
and Cuthbert Gordon, both of Leith, is as
follows : —
The name of the first inmdient 18 lichen. . .
The name of the second ingredient is muscus
rupibus admiscenSf or coloroides, being a weed,
plant, or vegetable that grows mostly on sheltered
rocks. The name of the third ingredient is muscus
pyxidatus, being a plant, weed, or vegetable that
grows in low, moorish, turfy ground.
When these three ingredients are gathered,
cleanse them from all filth by la3ring them severally
in cold water, changing the water daily so long as
any filth remains about them. Then dry and
pound them in a mortar, and dilute them with
spirit of wine and spirit of soot, to which add
quick lime. Digest them together for fourteen
days, and this will produce the cudbear fitt for
dyers* use : a more solid kind of which may be
obtained by continued digestion of the several
ingredients for fourteen days more, when it will
grow into a paste and harden like indigo.
Rev. William Leask.— Vaguely affirmed in
the "Dictionary of National Biography" to have
been bom in England — place not mentioned.
Twenty-four years before Mr. Leask's death (on
6th November, 1884), Dr. Rogers published, in
i860, "The Sacred Minstrel," giving specimens
of hymns and religious poems, with biographies
of the writers. Some of Leask's hymns are
printed therein, and in the prefatory memoir he
IS stated to have been born m Kirkwall, Orkney,
in 1 812, and it was never contradicted, as in all
probability Dr. Rogers had his information from
the poet himself. Leask is essentially a Norse
name, and Leask families on the mainland of
Scotland deduce their ancestry from a Norse
origin. As I am of Norse lineage myself, I am
specially interested on this point ; and 1 may
add that an Orcadian storekeeper here, the late
Mr. Magnus Norquay, who occasionally lent me
some of Mr. Leask's publications to read, as-
sured me that he was a schoolfellow in Kirkwall
with Leask. The whole trouble has arisen from
a book which Mr. Leask issued in 1854, entitled
" Struggles for Life, or, the Autobiography of a
Dissenting Minister." Probably some of his
own experiences are interwoven in that book,
but to base the real life of Mr. Leask upon a
fictitious narrative is manifestly erroneous, re-
membering that six years after Dr. Rogers an-
nounced that Leask was bom in Kirkwall. He
certainly spent the greater part of his life in
England, but that does not make him an English-
man. Orkney has few celebrities of its own,
and it does seem to me to be ungenerous con-
duct to try to deprive it of even one man of mark.
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
Anecdote of Napoleon.— When in Pots-
dam three years ago, I made a pilgrimage to
the Garrison Kirche (Garrison Kirk), where the
bodies of Frederick the Great and his father,
Friedrich Wilhelm I., lie side by side in a vault
under the pulpit. A German gentleman present
repeated a striking story of Napoleon, who, as
conqueror of Prussia in 1806, visited the tomb
just twenty years after the burial of Friedrich
der Grosse. Apostrophising the royal remains
at his feet, Napoleon pithily remarked : " If
thou hadst been alive, I would not be here this
day ! " That said a great deal for the magnani-
mity of the much-maligned Corsican. Hearing
this in the same place where it was originally
uttered, it interested me deeply. Germans have
no doubt whatever as to its truth, and keenly
resent any imputation of manufacture. Has
this anecdote appeared in print before? It is
not in Carlyle's " History." Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
VoL.ViII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
27
SOME GALLOWAY MACS.
Many years ago I spent a month in Stranraer
ere crossing over to Antrim, and I had also
been in Ayrshire and Dumfriesshire. I had
read about the historical clans of Scotland, and
with the presumption of youth I thought myself
well posted up in their genealogy. Of course I
was wofully ignorant of the broken clans and \
wandering septs having the prefix Mac to their
names, but I was enlightened very soon. Com-
ing from the extreme north-east of Scotland,
where Macs were few and of old and even illus-
trious lineage, to the south-western point of our
country, where Macs strange and uncouth
abounded, I felt as if I had got into a new
kingdom. I lived with Macs and worked with
Macs whose names were a puzzle to me. At
first I was amused, and wrote down the new
Macs a few every day, but they increased upon
me so much that I got appalled, and left the list
unfinished. Here were Macs who had neither
chieftains nor tartans, badges, music, armorial
bearings, nor any distinctive history whatever.
I know I have not put them all down, but
quantum suff. Let somebody else essay the
job. I subjoin the names, arranged alphabeti-
cally, being of opinion that a volume could be
written on the subject : —
McAdam, McAdie, McAinsh, McAlexander, McAll,
McAUum, McAnsh, McArdle, McAra, McAsh,
McAuslan, McAuliff, McAliece.
McBee, McBriar, McBratney, McBrearty, McBroom,
McBryde, McBurney, McBrayne.
McCaig, McCalman, McCaskilI,McCandIish, McCart-
ney, McCall, McCarron, McCarlie, McCartie,
McCaw, McCay, McChlery, McChrystal, McChris-
tie, McCIatchie, McClelland, McClenaghin,
McClernon, McClounan, McClung, McClure,
McCloy, McCluskie, McClutchan, McClymont,
McClumpha, McComas, McCormack, MaComb,
McColm, McCracken, McCrackit, McCreadie,
McCrotty, McCattie, McCraw, McCosh, McCrea,
McCreery, McCue, McCune, McCutcheon,
McCurdy, McCubbin, McCusker, McCulloch,
McCuUum, McCorkindale, McCurnisky, McCoub-
rie, McCuaird, McCrabbie, McCrindle.
McDevitt, McDade, McDermid, McDaniel, McDill,
McDool, McDouU, McDowall, McDonaghy,
McDufiie.
McEddie, McEachran, McEllar, McElgee, McEUi-
kin, McEUigot, McEwing.
McFadyen, McFaichney, McFargie, McFee, McFce-
ters, McFerrand, McFarragher, McFade.
McGarva, McGavin, McGaw, McGeoch, McGeorge,
McGhie, McGilchrist, McGilp, McGibbon, McGil-
ligan, McGinley, McGirr, McGlashan, McGlew,
McGlone, McGlennon, McGlonagle, McGIovan,
McGowan, McGoun, McGuflie, McGuffog,
McGrewer, McGrowther, McGraw, McGorlick,
McGungill, McGrugar, McGranahan.
McHaffie, McHattie, McHarg, McHarrie, McHend-
rie, McHutcheon, McHutcnison.
Mcllquham, Mcllroy, Mcllwraith, Mcllwrick, Mcll-
dowie, Mcllveen, Mclndoe, Mclnroy, Mclsaac,
Mclnery.
Mcjannet, Mcjory, Mcjorras, Mcjunkin.
McKeand, McKea, McKendrick, McKell, McKer-
char, McKergo, McKerlie, McKerrell, McKechnie,
McKenna, McKain, McKichan, McKibbin, McKie,
McKillop, McKim, McKersey, McKinnell, McKin-
nie, McKitterick, McKinstray, McKissock,
McKnaught, McKeachie, McKirdy.
McLay, McLeerie, McLehose, McLeish, McLevie,
McLintock, McLiver, McLoon, McLoughlin,
McLurg, McLagg.
McMartin, McMaster, McMath, McManamny,
McMenamin, McMeekin, McMichael, McMic-
king, McMinn, McMinnies, McManaway, McMor-
rin, McMorland, McMurchie, McMurray, McMur-
trie, McMurdo, McMain.
McNatty, McNeilage, McNall, McNetsh, McNee,
McNoe, McNair, McNaim, McNerny, McNiven,
McNiece, McNight, McNickle.
McOllave, McOmish, McOnie, McOuat, McOwan.
McParlin, McPartland, McPhie, McPhail, McPhun,
McPhater, McPhadrig, McPike.
McQuhae, McQuhalter, McQuie, McQuillan,
McQuire, McQuilken, McQuistan, McQuorn,
McQuoid, McQuarters, McQuiggan.
McRaild, McRaith, McRay, McReath, McRitchie,
McRobbie, McRobbin, McRobert, McRannel,
McRingan, McRorie, McReenan, McRofiie.
McShane, McSheehy, McSkimmin, McSlorach,
McSloy, McSwain, McSwceny, McSwiney,
McSorley, McSparran, McSwiggan.
McTaggart, McTurlach, McTavish, McTear, McTier,
McTigue, McTurk, McTainsh.
McUchter, McUmfray, McUre.
McVean, McVeagh, McVey, McVitty, McVoorick,
I^cVicker.
McWard, McWatt, McWattie, McWha, McWhae,
McWhannel, McWharrie, McWhir, McWhirtcr,
McWillie, McWilliam, McWhinney, McYule,
McYowen, McYand.
There is a task for an enterprising philologist
to determine the derivation of those names. *'I
give it best," to use a Colonialism. They are all
Macs. Some of the names are aboriginal, and
will be found in old charters, having lands and
ruined fortalices to tell of their former power ;
others are variants of well-known clan and
Christian names; but the bulk of them is of
course Hibernian. Like the locusts, which are
swarming now in Australia en route for other
pastures, I can imagine in prehistoric times an
irruption of Ulster Cruithnii (Ceathamachf) be-
ing stranded on the Galloway coast, where they
squatted, and left to their luckless progeny only
the possession of a heathenish and undefinable
surname, conjoined with a desperate struggle
for existence.
I have also a big list of Irish Macs, *' but
28
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[August, 1906
that's another story," as Kipling observes, and
possibly inadmissible in a Scottish publication.
Many of the olden Macs satirised by our early
Scottish poets are still to the fore. Thus, Dunbar
(about 1500) introduces Makfadyane as a High-
land piper in that weird poem, ** The Dance of
the Seven Deadly Sins." Gawain Douglas, in
his " Palace of Honour" (1501), alludes to "Gow
Makmorn and Fyn McCoul." There are
McMorrins in Galloway to this day, and it may
be remembered that a noted Cockney thief,
and presumably the murderer of Begbie, Jim
McCouU, died in Calton Jail, Edinburgh, about
1820. Montgomery sneers at the Highlanders
in his skit, "Findlay McCondoquhy fuff
McFadzeane" (1580), which seems only an an-
tique way of spelling our Aberdeenshire McCon-
nachie.
Some queer names of Highland ministers
occur in Rev. Hew Scott's ** Fasti Ecclesia
Scoticana " : — McGilliepadrick, McCrocadill
(McCorquodale ?), McQuhoncloquhy, Mcllvride,
McKilican, Mcllvernock, McOsenog, McKil-
vorie, Mcjor, McGarroch, Mc Kitchen, etc.
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
to reply. He was " craw'd doon " and no mis-
take. Vc€ vectis' He really went (not meta-
phorically) to pot — and from thence to the table,
and now once more peace reigns in our poultry-
yard. Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
" Crawdoun." — The true derivation of this
old Scottish term of reproach is strangely missed
by our commentators. Palerson, in his edition
of Dunbar's poems (i860;, interprets it "coward,"
and anon gives it an adjectival sense as "scurvy"
and "base"; but Dunbar uses both words in
the same line :
Canybald crawdoun Kennedy, coward of kind;
and in "The Twa Mariet Women and the
Wedo " gives us the key at once, when the lady
alludes to her spouse :
When I that cur had all clean and him ower-
comen haill,
I crew aboon that crawdoun as cock that were
victor.
The meaning is as plain as a pikestaff: it is
simply "crowed down," beaten in conflict — a
great stigma to our warlike ancestors. Pater-
son, in rustic parlance, "didna ken muckle aboot
cock-fechtin'." I reared two white Orpington
cockerels from chicks lately. They fought two
days for the mastery, and were terribly mauled
and bedabbled with blood, feathers pulled out
and combs torn, yet, being so evenly matched,
they fought until exhausted, crew defiance at
each other, and resumed the flght again and
again. On the third day one had apparently
got enough and refused to come to the tourney,
whereupon the other hirpled on to a saw-block
and crew victoriously, the beaten bird not daring
759. Sir Hugh Halcrow. — In the Grange
Cemetery, Edinburgh, there is a gravestone inscribed:
** Sir Hugh Halcrow/* on the same side as John
Mackintosh's tomb (the *' Earnest Student"), and
almost adjoining it. There are no dates whatever,
simply the name, which is Norse, and usually found
in the Orkney and Shetland Islands. Readers of
Scott's "Pirate'' will remember the bard, Claud
Halcro. I have inquired of several Shetlanders here
concerning this Sir Hugh, but they all state that
they never heard of him, and are as curious to learn
his history as I am. Who was this knight ? How
did he obtain the honour? When did he die? These
questions should have been answered on the memorial
stone, but they are not, and many people are in-
clined to think that this Norse knight is a mythical
personage. Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
760. Grace before Meat. — Is the following
grace well known in the North of Scotland ? —
Lord, give me grace to feel my need of grace ;
Olve me grace to ask for grace ;
Give mc grace to receive grace ;
And, O Lord, when grace is given,
Give me grace to use it.— Amen.
— Rev. A. Moody Stuart's '* Life and Letters, of
Elisabeth, last Duchess of Gordon," 5th edition
(with frontispiece), at page 27. London: James
Nisbet & Co., Berners Street. 1866.
Robert Murdoch.
761. Adam Donald.— This singular character
was known over the North of Scotland as the
'* Prophet of Bethelnie," which is the ancient name
of the parish of Oldmeldrum. He flourished from
1820 to 1832, and had more than a local reputation
in Aberdeenshire. When was the date of his de-
cease ? Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
762. James Clyde, LL.D.— One of the classical
masters at the Edinburgh Academy, who published a
" School Geography " and other educational works,
which were highly commended by the literary
reviews of the time. He was father of a Scottish
judge, recently appointed. Is Dr. Clyde still alive ?
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
763. Glasgow Book. —Who was the editor of
" The Chronicles of St. Mungo, or Antiquities and
Traditions of Glasgow," published by John Smith
and Son in 1843, and dedicated to Henry Monteith
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
29
and James Ewing, two of the merchant princes of
that city ? It is an excellent compilation, and ex-
tends to 434 pages. Stuart, Pagan, Mackenzie,
Reid, and McGeorge all wrote on Glasgow sub-
sequent to the publication of this work.
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
764- George Blair, M.A. — He published, in
1857, "Biographic and Descriptive Sketches of the
Glasgow Necropolis." Had previously written "The
Holocaust," and ** Lays of Palestine," and at the
end of the volume on the Necropolis is alleged to
have had in active preparation " The Text Book of
the Telegraph." Whether it was ever published is
more than I can affirm. I learned that he was a
licentiate of the Church of Scotland, and that he
emigrated to Canada, where he obtained the pastor-
ate of a church, and died there during the closing
years of the last century. Date and place of decease
wanted. Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
765. Moses Provan. — This gentleman was the
founder of the Glasgow Athenaeum, and a prominent
literary man for many years. When was the date
of his death ? Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
7<56. Neil McAlpine. — About 1846 he published
a " Pronouncing Gaelic Dictionary," as well as a
"Gaelic Grammar." The late Professor Blackie
wrote eulogistically about it. I never saw any
memoir of this philologist. Can any correspondent
give particulars of McAlpine's career ?
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
767. Bernardus Paludanus. — I have lately
seen a silken portrait of *' Bernardus Paludanus,"
described in a later scroll as a most learned doctor.
The date of his existence is somewhere in the Re-
naissance period. Who is represented under this
name ? A. Macdonald.
Durris.
768- James Murdoch, Author. — A press notice,
which has been sent to me by a relative, states : —
Mr. James Murdoch, the author of **The Christian
Century in Japan" — a work that has attracted atten-
tion in Tokio and elsewhere— is, it seems, a native
of Stonehaven, his father having been at one time
a coachman and gardener to Rev. Mr. Watt of
Fetteresso. Born between forty and fifty years ago,
Mr. James Murdoch was educated at the parish
school, and then passed on to Aberdeen University,
where he showed great scholastic attainments. He
subsequeutly went to Oxford. Receiving an appoint-
ment in Queensland, he remained there for some
years, leaving for Japan, which was being opened
up to foreigners. His residence in Japan has been
marked by much literary work. I shall be glad to
have further notes about Mr. Murdoch and his
forbears. Robert Murdoch.
answers.
54. Leading Apes (ist S., I., 92; V., 125 ; 2nd
S., III., 47). — Yet another reference to this. I find
it recorded on page 43 of ** Domestic Folk-lore," by
T. F. Thiselton Dyer, M.A. (Cassell, Petter, Galpin
and Co., London, 1881). Under the heading,
*' Marriage," he remarks: — " It was also customary,
in former years, for elder sisters to dance barefooted
at the marriage of a younger one, as otherwise they
would inevitably become old maids. Hence Kath-
arine says to her father, in allusion to Bianca —
" She is yonr treasure, she must have a husband.
I must dance barefoot on her weddinf(-day.
And for your love to her lead apes in hell.
" The last line, the meaning of which, however, is
somewhat obscure, expresses a common belief as to
the ultimate fate of old maids. Malone, on this
passage, remarks that in Shakespeare's time '*to lead
apes " was one of the employments of a bear-ward,
who often carried about one of these animals along
with his bear." Robert Murdoch.
718. Parody of "Bonnie Dundee" (2nd S.,
VII., 136, 156, 175 ; VIII., 14). — In your answer to
query by R. D., you speak of Dr. Peter Smith as
the "reputed parodist." Now, I remember Mr.
Smith coming into my lodgings, either on the night
of publication or a night or two after, and telling us
all about having the parody printed, and how he
made a present of the copies to " Blin' Bob," on
condition that he would stand at King's College
gate at the mid-day interval, and sell them to the
students as they passed out. Almost every student
bought a copy, and a copy was put on each pro-
fessor's desk. Some of the professors pooh-poohed
the parody as a silly freak, but it was observed that
they all took their copies home when they left.
Banff.
John Yeats.
722. Barclay of Ury (29d S., VII., 172, 190,
191). — A genealogical account of the Barclays of
Uriewas published in Aberdeen, 1740, and a London
edition appeared in 1812. (See Robertson's Hand-
list of 1893.) I regret that I have not handled either
editions. Robert Murdoch.
723. "The Silver Eel" (2nd S., VII., 172,
19 1 ).~ Surely Mr. P. J. Anderson cannot be aware
of the true character of the song or ballad he is
seeking. It is immoral, but thinly disguised as an
angling ditty. I heard it long ago at the close of a
spree when only a few revellers were left, and they
were deliriously emphatic in their approbation. I
was a mere stripling at the time, but some of the
obfuscated seniors obligingly explained its purport,
and then rallied me unmercifully afterwards when I
objected to it. Although I am an old printer now,
and have seen many queer things in type, "The
30
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[August, 1906
Silver Eel " has never yet wriggled into print to my
knowledge. It is unworthy of it.
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
724. Volunteer Officers of 1794-1808 (2nd
S., VII., 172). — Rev. Jas. Smith, at address below,
will show an oil painting of Sheriff Moir, which he
bought at the Pittodrie sale. Mrs. Erskine was his
daughter, and Mr. Smith was interested in buying
him as having been tutor to H. W. K. Erskine, his
grandson, and now ex-laird of Pittodrie.
13 Albert Street,
Aberdeen.
Jas. Smith.
726. Stewart or Stuart Family (2nd S.,VII.,
173). — Into the high matters and intricate genea-
logies involved in this query I do not presume to
enter, but wish merely to say that one Gavin Drum-
mond graduated M.A. at King's College, Aberdeen,
on 6th May, 1712, and is entered as being from
Perth county. Quite possibly he may have been the
same as the Gavin Drummond who, in 1773, was
buried in Westminster Abbey, and, in all probability,
was a scion of the noble family of Drummond in
Perthshire. If I understand Mr. McPike aright, he
connects his own family, McPike, with that of the
Halleys. In this aspect of the matter the extract,
quoted from the ** Westminster Abbey Registers,"
becomes extremely important, inasmuch as it shows
that the Halleys were connected with the Drum-
monds, while the Drummonds, as everyone knows,
were closely related to the Royal Family of Scot-
land. I would venture to suggest that " Collendar''
in the query may be a mistake for ** Callendar."
W.
727. The Battles of Preston, Falkirk, and
CuLLODEN (2nd S., VII., 173). — A. Lumsden, that
is, Andrew Lumsden, born 172 1, connected with the
family of Cushnie, was a follower of Prince Charlie,
and acted as his private secretary. He is said by
Chambers to have been the son of William Lums-
dale or Lumsdain, a writer in Edinburgh. His
brother-in-law was Sir Robert Strange, the engraver.
After Culloden he made his escape to the Continent,
where he lived for several years, and wrote " Remarks
on the Antiquities of Rome and its Environs." He
was pardoned about 1778, and returned to his native
land. Conflicting testimony is borne as to the place
and date of his death. According to one account
he was on a visit to Aberdeen, and died there in
1802. According to the '* Catalogue of the Scottish
National Portrait Gallery," with probably more
exact information, he died in Edinburgh in 1801.
In 1749 an "Account of the Battle of Culloden" was
published in London. This, however, was not
Lumsden's MS., who at the time was an outlaw.
As far as I am aware, his MS. has never been pub-
lished — at all events. Chambers knew nothing of it
or had no access to it when he penned his *"*" History
of the *45 Rebellion." Where it is now I am unable
to say. Possibly a reference to some annotated copy
of the '* Gibson Craig Sale Catalogue " might reveal
the purchaser, and put one on the track of the MS.
S.
742. Provost Brown of Aberdeen and the
"Edinburgh Weekly Journal" (2nd S., VII.,
190; VIII., 16). — The query I put in S. iV. 6* Q,
arose out of the statement which is made by Mr.
Norrie in his *' Edinburgh Newspapers," and which
is summarised by Mr. George Walker in last month's
S. N. &» Q. 1 asked the question because the
paragraph from which it was taken is full of errors.
It is stated that the yournal began in 1744: I have
seen a number of Vol. 2, and it is dated 1758. William
Smellie is given as editor in 1767 : Smellie's " Life "
does not say so, although it mentions Smellie's op-
position to the continuance of the yournal in 1771,
which resulted in the break-up of the publishing
firm. Norrie says, the Weekly yournal was " pub-
lished without intermission for upwards of a century:'*
as I shall show in the proper place this is exceedingly
wide of the mark. He says, James Ballantyne ac-
quired the paper in 1806: the true date is 1817.
Perhaps some transaction did take place in 1806 — I
have as yet been unable to see the nle for that year
— and Norrie has mixed up that operation with the
Ballantyne buying of 18 17. It was to elicit some
information on the point that I sent my query. I
may add that the gross inaccuracies that appear in
existing accounts of Edinburgh journals have been
quite a revelation to me. As my investigations have
proceeded, I have been constrained to reject the
most confident statements, even although they have
been made by names apparently worthy of credence.
Very few writers have thought it necessary to
examine the files for themselves, and have been con-
tented to reproduce the errors of their predecessors.
In my contributions I have thought it sufficient to
state the facts without pointing out, except in a few
cases, that they are corrections of long accepted
assertions. Corrections would have taken up too
much of S. N. &> Q.'s space. W. J. C.
743. Grammar Schools (2nd S., VIII., 12). —
It is not known when Aberdeen Grammar School
was first built Schools are mentioned in connection
with the city as early as 1256 (Watt's "Aberdeen
and Banff," p. loi), but were no doubt in existence
at a considerably earlier period. Aberdeen School
is termed the "Grammar School" in 1418, being
the first educational seminary in Scotland to be so
designated (Hutchison's "History of the High
School of Stirling," Stirling, 1904, p. 9). It was
somewhat later than the reign of James IV. that the
school was restored. In 1527, it having been re-
ported that the Grammar School was decayed and
liable to fall, "the provost, bailies, and community
charge the master of the kirk work to build it at the
town's expense" (Grant's "History of the Burgh
Schools of Scotland," p. 69). This would make
the date of restoration fall into the reign of James
V. The old school building, I believe, is not now
standing. " In ancient times the Grammar School
Vol VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
31
consisted of detached buildings, but in 1757 a build-
ing forming three sides of a square was erected"
(Smith's "Aberdeenshire," Vol. I., p. 163). The
edifice reared at that date continued as the Grammar
School until 1863, when the present structure, built
in the Scottish Baronial style, took its place. Per-
haps Slezer's "Theatrum Scotiae," published in
1693, may afford some idea of the appearance of the
building previous to 1757. The grammar schools of
Scotland were not built in olden times according to
any particular style of architecture. Less than a
hundred years ago, any building with four walls and
a roof was deemed good enough for a school. " The
rooms for the most part were badly ventilated, and
unhealthy, overcrowded, dirty, and ill adapted for
the purpose for which they were used. The school
houses were often old stables, old granaries, dilapi-
dated weaver-shops, and cellars" (Wright's "History
of Education," p. 237). See also Dr. Findlater's
'* Reminiscences " for description of an ordinary
school in Aberdeenshire about eighty years ago.
W. S.
745. Verses on Two Babes (2nd S., VIII.,
12). — A correspondent has just pointed out to me
that the Frederick G. Forsyth Grant, the original
owner of the book containing the verses cited as
now in my possession, is unquestionably the same
gentleman who, in 1890, was a member of the New
Spalding Club. His address at that date was
Ecclesgreig, Montrose. Robert Murdoch.
Lieutenant (afterwards Captain) Frederic Grant
Forsyth Grant, of the 3rd Light Dragoons (latterly
the 3rd Hussars), is the gentleman referred to in
Mr. Robert Murdoch's query. He was the son of
William Forsyth Grant, Esq., of Ecclesgreig, St.
Cyrus, who inherited the estate by will of his uncle,
Frederic Grant, and assumed his name. Captain
Grant was educated at Oxford, and succeeded to his
father's estate in 1863. A version of the epitaph
quoted, appears in Spurgeon's "John Ploughman's
Talk," p. 173. It reads thus:—
Two sweetur babes you nare did see
llian Ood amity gave to wee ;
But they wur oertakeu wee agur fits,
And hear thay lye has dead as nits.
Spurgeon states that he had the lines from the lips
ot a Gloucestershire man, and that they were to be
found in Dymock Churchyard. W. S.
749. HuTTON, Hepburn, Lidderdale (2nd S.,
VIII., 13). — Prolonged research would be necessary
to do adequate justice to this query. A few random
notes are all I can venture to supply. The Huttons
of Hutton Hall, Cumberland (a family now, I be-
lieve, extinct in the male line), claimed descent from
the days of William the Conqueror. The pedigree
was never, I think, published. It may perhaps be
found, in part, at least, in Denton's ** Account of
Estates and Families in Cumberland," edited by
Ferguson, Kendal, 1887. Some Yorkshire pedigree
book might also be useful for families named Hutton
residing in that county. William Hutton, a Birming-
ham bookseller, wrote an account of his family, but
probably his work would be valueless for the purpose
of the query. Much has been written about the
Hepburns — at least, about the fighting Hepburns.
In Taylor's "Great Historic Families of Scotland,"
a chapter is devoted to the fortunes of the house,
but is confined mainly to the Bothwell Hepburns,
and does not come much nearer our own time than
the year 1600. Grant, the novelist and military
historian, wrote a " Memoir of Sir John Hepburn"
(one of the most famous soldiers of fortune of his
day), while interesting notes about other distin-
guished Hepburns abound in his writings. The
Lidderdales are only traceable in the " Retours " and
"Parish Registers." Anderson gives a good deal
of information in " The Scottish Nation " about the
Robertsons of Struan as well as the Urquharts, but
does not notify any marriage between the two
houses. It is possible that the Janet Robertson of
the query may have been sister to Colonel Alexander
Robertson, head of the clan between 1784 and 1822,
in which case Miss Urquhart must have been the
wife of Duncan Robertson of Drumachune, Colonel
Robertson's father. The Fullertons were possibly a
Kincardineshire family, the name occurring very
frequently in the annals of that county.
Amateur.
750. CocKBURNSPATH (2nd S., VIII., 13). — Ber-
wickshire is deplorably destitute of any publication
worthy the name of local history. Perhaps Mr.
W. J. Frost may find some help in the following
works: — "Proceedings of the Berwickshire Naturalist
Club " (a copy may be difficult to procure) ; Small's
" Scottish Market Crosses, with Introductory Chap-
ter by Hutcheson," Stirling: Mackay, 1900 (a full-
page plate of the village cross is given, and some
architectural notes are added) ; Patten's ** Expedition
into Scotland of the Duke of Somerset," London,
1544 (there are modern reprints of this work — it
deals with the history of the castle); "Journey
through the Counties of Berwick, Roxburgh, Dum-
fries, Ayr, Lanark, East, West, and Mid Lothians
in the Year 1817," Edinburgh, 1818 ; " The Border
Tour," Edinburgh, 1826; Chambers's "Gazetteer
of Scotland," 1832; "The Ordnance Gazetteer of
Scotland," edited by Groome (under " Cockburns-
path" and "Dunglass"); Forsyth's "Beauties of
Scotland"; Notes to Scott's "Bride of Lammer-
moor"; Crockett's "Minstrelsy of the Merse" (at
least one of the poems deals with the parish). None
of the above works, I fear, will afford the precise
information sought for. The origin both of cross
and castle seem alike lost in the mists of historical
obscurity. W. S.
751. Rev. J. Brichan, Botanist (2nd S., VIII.,
13). — James Brodie Brichan, son of the Rev. David
Brichan, minister of Dyke (who died in 181^), re-
ceived licence from the Church of Scotland, but
adhered to the Free Church at the Disruption. He
distinguished himself as an antiquary, and assisted
32
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[August, 1906
in editing and arranging for publication the later
portions of •*Origines Parochiales Scotiae," issued
by the Bannatyne Club, 1851-53. W.
752. Dr. Stephen, Botanist (2nd S., VIII., 13).
— William Stephen, King's College, Aberdeen, was
AM., 1857; M.D., i860; and L.F.P.S. Glas. and
L.M., 1870. Was he the man ? W.
Xiterature«
Th/! Sculptured Stone of Aberlemno. By John
Milne, LL.D., Aberdeen. 1906.
Since Boece's day, no one it seems has at-
tempted, till now, the interpretation of the
pictorial carvings on this well-known Forfar-
shire sculptured stone. In this eight-page
pamphlet Dr. Milne has, with little trepidation,
thrown down the gauntlet of a feasible reading,
which may tempt the ingenious to study, at
least. The author's theory is that the stone
represents the biblical duel between David and
Goliath, and two excellent illustrations of the
stone will materially assist any efforts to solve
this ancient crux.
Official Guide to the Abbey-Churchy Palace^
and Environs of Holyroodhouse^ with a His-
torical Sketch, by the Right Hon. Sir Herbert
Maxwell, Bart. Wm. Blackwood & Sons, Edin-
burgh. 1906. Sixpence net. [183 pp., Svo.]
With this book in hand, "compiled by direc-
tion of H.M. Office of Works," no one need
have any doubt as to his being " guided " aright
as to the essential facts of Holyrood and its
environs. Sir Herbert Maxwell's important
historic sketch, which extends to 114 pages,
brings into focus all Scottish history which has
any vital connection with Holyrood and its
history. Numerous illustrations enhance the
value t)f the volume.
Scottish Heraldry. Two books of exceptional
interest on heraldry have been written by Mr.
G. Harvey Johnston, author of "The History of
the Ruddimans and the Johnstons," viz. : —
"Scottish Heraldry made easy" (1904), and the
"Heraldry of the Stewarts" this year — both
published by Messrs. W. & A. K. Johnston,
Ltd., . Edinburgh. Each work is sumptuously
illustrated with coloured pictures and with des-
criptive letterpress. The first-named work is pre-
faced by an interesting article on heraldry : its
purpose and origin, followed by special chapters
on parted coats, etc., badges, crests, etc., ac-
companied by a list of Scottish heraldic and
genealogical works to be studied ; as also a
glossary explaining the various terms used in
heraldic science. The second volume, which,
by the way, is dedicated by permission to the
Stewart Society (founded a few years ago), is
also a valuable adjunct to any Scottish library,
the present limited edition having no fewer than
eight pedigree charts, and eight heraldic plates
in colour, giving representations of 128 Stewart
Arms which have been recorded. On page 86
there is a concise bibliography entitled, " Some
Stewart Books," which has been very carefully
compiled — the first work dating back to an
Amsterdam book, 1603, folio, and the last,
" Story of the Stewarts," published in 1901 for
the Stewart Society. As the author says, no
attempt has been made to include works dealing
with Queen Mary or Prince Charles Edward, as
their name is legion. Both works contain an
exhaustive index making them accessible, and
thus adding greatly to their value.
Robert Murdoch.
Scots 3Boof{B of tbe Aontb.
Ars^^ll, Dowas:er Duchess of. The Duke of
Argyll, 1823- 1900. With Illustrations. Two Vols.
Net, 36s. John Murray.
Clark, W. Fordyce. The Story of Shetland.
Svo. Net, 2S. 6d. Oliver & Boyd.
Edj^ar, Madalen. Stories from Scottish History,
selected from Scott's '* Tales of a Grandfather."
Cr. Svo, 256 pp. Net, is. 6d. and 2s. 6d.
Harrap.
Qray, Peter. Skibo: its Lands and History.
Svo. Net, 4s. 6d. Oliphant, Anderson, & Ferrier.
Lans:, Andrew. Portraits and Jewels of Mary
Stuart. With seventeen full page Illustrations.
Royal Svo. Net, 8s. 6d. Maclehose.
Mackenzie, W. C, F.S.A. Scot. A Short His-
tory of the Scottish Highlands and Isles. Illus-
trated. Svo. Net, 58. Gardner, Paisley.
Milne, John, LL.D., Aberdeen. The Sculp-
tured Stone of Aberlemno. Two Illustrations.
Crown Svo. 8 pp. id. Wyllie, Aberdeen.
NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.
All communications should be accompanied by an
identifying name and address. As publication day
is the 25th of each month, copy should be in a few
days earlier. Ed.
Printed and Published at The Rosemoant PresB, Aberdeen.
Literary comnmulcatioiiB should (>e addressed to the Jtditw,
23 Osborne Place, Aberdeen; Advertisements and Business
Letters to the Publishers, Farmer's Hall I^ne, Aoerdeen.
SCOTTISH
NOTES AND QUERIES.
VOL. VIII. 1 NTo ^
2nd SERIES. J ^^^* O'
September, 1906.
^o^™^{p2rp2^i4d.
CONTENTS.
Notes :—
Paqe
Quatercentenary Publications 23
A Bibliography of Edinburgh Periodical Literature . . 35
Gordon Book-Plates ^0
Forfarshire a« a Factor In Scottish Life and Thought 41
MiKOR Notes :—
Church Tokens ^
Adam King— Freemasonrj- Terms 39
Scotsmen in the Kussian Navy 40
StlURoom ^
QCBRIES :—
Henry Shanks— A. J. Warden— Peter Patcrson—
*' Thole, and Think On !"— The Clan Maclean—
Farquhars in Longside, Aberdeenshire 45
William Farquhar, 1724, Author— McPherson alias
MoWillie 46
46
W^. J. Linton's Origin— Brodie— The Haigs of Bemer-
syde
William Mackay — Button, Hepburn, Lldderdale—
Lawrances In Usan— What is a " Tap " or " Tapion " ?
—Curious Figures on a Tombstone — Barbara
Gordon (Mrs. Faniuhar)— Buchanan Hospital-
Adam Donald— George Blair, M.A 47
Moses Pro van— Nell McAlpine— Bemardus Paludauus
James Murdoch, Author 48
Scots Books of the Month 48
ABERDEEN, SEPTEMBER, 1906.
University of Aberdeen.
QUATERCENTENARY PUBLICATIONS.
The end of this month will witness great
festivities in Aberdeen in connection with the
400th birthday of the University. Besides the
usual round of social gaieties, presentations of
addresses, and grantings of honorary degrees,
the event will be unique in the annals of the
Scottish Universities in two ways. In the first
place the King and Queen will take part in the
inauguration of the magnificent new buildings
at Marischal College. In the second place a
number of important volumes will celebrate the
quatercentenary. At least two of these will
have local historical interest, the one, " Studies
in the History and Development of the Univer-
sity of Aberdeen," edited by Mr. P. J. Anderson ;
the other, " Roll of the Graduates of the Univer-
sity of Aberdeen, i860- 1900," edited by Colonel
William Johnston, C.B.
Under the title " Studies in the History and
Art of Asia Minor," Professor Ramsay and his
pupils have brought together a volume of
researches which forms a ver>' valuable contri-
bution from the Faculty of Arts. Dr. William
Bulloch has edited a series of researches in
pathology as a medical contribution. These
volumes will be presented to universities and
institutions in various parts of the world, and
also to subscribers. The contents of the volumes
are given below.
Owing to the serious illness of Professor
narrower, one of the projected set of five
volumes — the second series of the " Flosculi
Graeci Boreales" — will not be ready for delivery
at the time of the celebrations. It is hoped,
however, that subscribers will receive it at no
long interval thereafter. The other four are : —
I. The Roll of Graduates of the University
OF Aberdeen, i860 to igoo. With brief bio-
graphical notices. By Colonel William Johnston,
C.B., M.A., M.D. With, as frontispiece, a photo-
gravure portrait of Principal Sir William Duguid
Geddes, who held University office during the
whole period covered. About 700 pages.
II. Studies in the History and Art of the
Eastern Roman Provinces. By Professor W.
M. Ramsay, D.D., Litt. D., etc. With many
illustrations. About 350 pages.
i. Art in Isauria and Phrygia during the Third
and Fourth Centuries, By Agnes Margaret
Ramsay, M.A.
ii. Smyrna as described by the Orator Aristides.
By William Moir Calder, M.A.
iii. Epitaphs in Phrygian Greek, By Alexander
Petrie, M.A.
iv. Inheritance^ Adoption^ and Marriage in
Phrygia^ as shown by the Epitaphs of Trophi-
mos and his Family, By John Eraser, M.A.
34
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES [September, 1906
V. Explorations in Lycaonia and Isauria, 1904.
By Professor Thomas Callander, M.A.
vi. Paganism and Christianity in the Upper
Tenibris Valley. By John George Clark
Anderson, M.A.
vii. Report to the Wilson Trustees on a Journey
in Phrygia and Lycaotiia. By the Editor,
viii. The War of Moslem and Christian for the
Possession of Asia Minor. By the Editor.
ix. A Religious Society on the Imperial Estates
at Pisidian Antioch. By the Editor.
III. Studies in Pathology. Written by Alumni
to celebrate the Quatercentenary of the University,
and the Quartercentenary of the Chair of Patho-
logy therein ; and edited by William Bulloch,
M.b. With, as frontispiece, a portrait of Pro-
fessor Hamilton. About 400 pages.
i. Professor Hamilton. By William Leslie
Mackenzie, M.A., M.D.
ii. The History and Progress of the Chair of
Pathology. By the Editor.
iii. The Alimentary Canal as a Source of Con-
tagion. By Professor Hamilton, M.B.
iv. A Remarkable Case of Bilharziosis. By
Professor William St. Clair Symmers, M.B.
V. Malformations of the Bulbus Cordis. By
Arthur Keith, M.D.
vi. The Administrative Aspects of Tuberculosis.
By William Leslie Mackenzie.
vii. Paroxysmal Irregularity of the Heart. By
Professor Arthur Robertson Cushny, M.A.,
M.D.
viii. Researches on Certain Problems of Plague
Immunity. By George Dean, M.A., M.B.
ix. Experimental Study of the Immunity against
Bacillus Pyocyaneus. By the Editor.
X. On Epignathus. By Alexander Low, M.A.,
M.B.
xL A Contribution to the Pathology of Exoph-
thalmic Goitre. By George Mellis Duncan.
M.B.
xii. The Rat Theory of Plague Epidemics, By
William Hunter, M.B.
xiii. Some Experiments with Disinfectants. By
Andrew Ross Laing, M.D.
xiv. On Eck's Fistula. By Professor John
James Rickard Macleod, M.B.
XV. On the Action of certain Bacteria in pro-
ducing Cell-necrosis. By George Ford Petrie,
M.D.
xvi. The Relationship between the Factors in-
ducing Haemolysis and those inducing Phago-
cytosis of Red Blood Corpuscles. By Robert
Donald Keith, M.A., M.D.
xvii. An Experimental Enquiry into the Relation-
ship of Leucocytosis to the Opsonic Content of
the Blood Serum. By James Charles Grant
Ledingham, M.A., M.B., and the Editor.
xviii. Immunity in Pneumococcal Infections. By
George Grant Macdonald, M.A., M.D.
xix. Note on the Bacteriology of some Diseases
of Sheep. By James Milner Adams, M.A.,
M.B., and Bertie Ronald Gordon Russell,
M.B.
IV. Studies in the History and Development
OF THE University of Aberdeen. Edited by
P. J. Anderson, LL.B., Librarian. With photo-
gravure portraits of Bishop Elphinstone and the
Earl Marischal. About 550 pages.
i. Bishop William Elphinstone. By Professor
Cowan, M.A., D.D.
ii. Hector Bocce and the Principals. By Prin-
cipal Lang, D.D., M.D.
iii. The Maker of Marischal College. By John
Malcolm Bulloch, M.A., author of **A History
of the University of Aberdeen. "
iv. The University's Contribution to Philosophy.
By Professor Davidson, M.A., LL.D.
v. The Historians. By Professor Terry, M.A.
vi. Natural Science in the Aberdeen Universities.
By Professor Trail, M.A., M.D., F.R.S.
vii. New Testament Learning in the Univer-
sities. By Professor Nicol, M.A., D.D.
viii. The Faculty of Law. By Professor
Kennedy, M.A., LL.D.
ix. Four Centuries of Medicine in Aberdeen.
By Professor Stephenson, M.D.
X. The Aberdeen University Educator. By
James Fowler Kellas Johnstone, Co-editor of
the ^* Fasti Academiae Mariscallanae."
xi. The Buildings. By Robert Sangster Rait,
M.A., author of "The Universities of Aber-
deen: a History.*'
xii. Collections towards a Bibliography of th€
Universities of Aberdeen^ 1522-1906. By the
Editor.
Other two volumes in preparation, but not in-
cluded in the series of Quatercentenary Studies,
will be : —
Handbook to the City and the University. By
Robert Walker, M. A. , Secretary to the University
Court, and A. M. Munro, City Chamberlain.
Life at a Northern University. By Neil N.
Maclean, M.A. New edition, revised and an-
notated by W. Keith Leask, M.A. Issued by the
Students* Representative Council.
Church Tokens. — An article on the unique
church token collection formed by Mr. D.
Edward, of the Caledonian Railway Office,
Dundee, now at Perth, extracted from the
Dundee Aavertiser^ appeared in Saint Andrew
26th July this year. Other notable collections
formed by the late Mr. John Reid, Blairgowrie ;
Mrs. Stein, Kirkfield, Lanark ; Mr. Alfred Cox,
Dundee ; and a collection in the possession of
Mr. J. H. Pratt, Glasgow, were incidentally
mentioned. The Edward collection is described
as one full of interest to numismatists.
Robert Murdoch.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
35
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EDINBURGH
PERIODICAL LITERATURE (V., 20, etc.)
(Continued from Snd S., Vol. VIII., p. 11.)
[Supplementary.]
1718. The Edinburgh Evening Courant. No. i.
Monday, December 15, 1718. 6 pp., folio, printed
across the page. " Edinburgh : printed by Mr.
James McEuen, William Brown, and John Mos-
man, and are to be sold at the said Mr. James
McEuen and William Brown, their shops, where
advertisements are to be taken in." Publication
days were Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
Before the actual issue took place, the following
** proposals " were sent out : —
"ProposalB for Printing by Snbscription a News-Paper
to be Intitled The Edinburgh Evening Coitrani, by one
from London, who has had long Experience in that
Business, having heretofore written several News-
Papers,
I. The Author proposes to have the Dutch, French,
and Flemish Prims, which frequently arrive at London
on Post-Nights, when 'tis too late, even for private
Letters to insert their Contents : By which means he
will often have the News a Post sooner than they can
cume by the English Papers.
II. He intends to provide himself with several
valuable London Papers, in Print and Manuscript, very
rare in Scotland.
III. 'Tis propos'd t<j give a true Account of what
passes in Scotland, by settling Correspondents in
several Parts for that £nd.
IV. 'Tis intended to have an impartial regard to
Truth ; and to relate nothing but what Is Authentic :
And all shall be done without the least Reflection upon
any Person or Party.
V. The Paper will be printed on a Sheet and Half,
thrice a Week : And whereas the common Price will
be Three Half-Pence each Paper ; 'tis propos'd, for the
Benefit of Subscribers, that they shall have it at One
Penny : The Subscription to continue for One Year,
payable Quarterly, but the Quarterage to be paid per
Advance.
Subscriptions will be taken in at Mr. James
MacEuen's and William Brown's, Booksellers in Edin-
burgh, where Subscribers are to call for their Papers ;
the first of which will be publish'd about the Beginning
of January next."*
The projectors sought for the necessary sanction
for publishing the paper from the Town Council,
but actually anticipated their permission. It was
granted
"At Edinburgh, the 24th day of December, 1718.
The same day the Councill, upon ane petition given in
be Mr. James McEuen, stationer, burgess, they for the
reasons therein contained, authorised the said Mr.
James to publish ane news paper under the title of
Edinburgh Evening Courant thrice every week, and
to be publicly sold within the citle, liberties, and
priveledges thereof During the Councill's pleasure,
and dischai^ed all other persons to print or publish
any new's paper under that title, the said Mr. James,
by his acceptation hereof, being obliged to answer the
Magistrates and Councill for the time being for what
he shall print and publish, and before publication to
give ane copple of his Print to the Magistrats," etc.
The words " By Authority " appeared for the
* Quoted in " Sdinbniigh Newspapers," by William Norrie.
first time on No. 8 (Monday, December 29 —
Tuesday, December 30, 1718). The journal had
" Evening " inserted in the title, so that the name
might not impinge on the rights of any who might
still retain an interest in the paper of 1710.
In their opening statement, the promoters pro-
mised to be up-to-date :
"Hitherto our newspapers have been very partial,
tame, and defective, or otherwise stuffed with un-
certain, ill-digested, false, or frivolous accounts."
They also emphasise the statement of their " pro-
posals " that their arrangements will put them a
post in advance of the ordinary London mails :
"Thus it has happened this very last post by which
we have received three foreign mails, whereof there is
little more than mention made In the London prints."
But while thus proclaiming their endeavour to
forestall their London contemporaries, the pro-
moters of the Courant, like their neighbours, were
largely indebted to them. The paper copied as
much as possible from foreign journals at first
hand, and in token of its bona fides in the trans-
cript informed its readers that tne original papers
could be seen at any time at " the Royal Coffee
House or some other Coffee House in Edinburgh."
This foreign news occupied practically the whole
available space. Home news, as was usual, was
at a discount. Advertisements were at first slow
in coming in, but by midsummer, 1720, three
pages were devoted to them.
From the first the Courant took a good place.
Its only rival was the Scots Courant, which carried
on the tradition and work of the Courant of 1705.
Shortly after its start, a contemporary Nvriter said
that
" it thrives so far as to be very well liked by all except
the violent Jacobites, who hate it for no other reason
but because it is a true and impartial paper. Several
gentlemen, who have had the London papers sent
them, have laid them aside, because this contains the
substance not only of them but of the foreign posts
also."
The permission to publish granted by the Town
Council assumed a definite censorship over the
printers : it was not long before they attempted to
enforce their claims : —
"All the copies of a certain number issued in Februaiy,
1723, were seized by the Magistrates, in consequence
of their containing a very little paragraph regarding a
Mr. Patrick Holden, then under probation before ^e
Lords of Session as presentee of the Crown for a seat
on the bench— he being a mere creature of the Minis-
try and unfitted for the office of senator, to which
eventually he does not seem to have attained. Indig-
nant at the remark. 'We do not hear of any great
discoveries yet made to his prejudice,' the judges
inflicted punishment upon McEuen who was compelled
in his next issue to apologise to his country subscribers,
and explain why they were not served 'with that day's
Courant, as also why we have been so sparing all along
of home news.'"*
It was not long before the magistrates found
another occasion for interfering. In June, 1725,
a riot, known as the '* Shawfield Riot," took place
« Grant's " Old and New Edinburgh," I., 287.
36
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[September, 1906
in Glasgow over the Malt Tax. On the Monday
after the event, McEuen, who seems to have been
the responsible head of the concern, printed an
account of the riot, in which he said that the
Glasgow magistrates and soldiers had done their
best to suppress it. This statement did not suit
the Edinburgh Council, who, for a reason of their
own, wished it to be thought that their Glasgow
brethren were art and part in the disturbance.
They accordingly tried to browbeat McEuen into
giving their version of the affair a place in his
paper. But McEuen was a burgess of the western
city, and stoutly refused to comply, "whereupon,"
says Wodrow, who tells the story,* " this lying
and partial account was printed by the Caledonian
Mercury^ a Jacobite paper." Not to be outdone,
the Glasgow magistrates forwarded to their
champion their account of the attitude they had
taken. The existence of this document became
known to the Edinburgh provost, who forthwith
forbade its appearance in the Courant. McEuen
had to comply with the injunction, but the account
nevertheless saw the light from a private press,
which, within an hour after its issue, was raided
by the authorities. It was a queer affair, and
justly warrants Wodrow's description of it as ** an
odd step; . . . first to cause print a lybell,
and then to stope the liberty of the press and the
toun of Glasgou's necessary vindication of them-
selves."
James McEuen, who had fallen heir to the
circulating library started by Allan Ramsay, and
who in turn passed it on to the possession of
Alexander Kincaid, whom he assumed as partner
in his business, continued to be the printer of the
Courant till 1732. In 1825 the paper appeared
with two woodcuts in the title, one of which was
inscribed Fama volat. Previous to 1832, the im-
print ran " Edinburgh : printed by Mr. James
McEuen & Co., and sold at the shops of the said
Mr. James McEuen and Mr. James Davidson, and
by Robert Fleming at the Printing House in
Pearson's Closs opposite to the Cross, where ad-
vertisements are taken in. Price i^d." The
words "By Authority" had by this time dis-
appeared, and occasionally no imprint was given.
Specimens of the essays which seemed so neces-
sary to the men of that age were sometimes in-
serted. The imprint of No. 839, Monday, March
27, to Tuesday, March 28, 1732, however, became
" Edinburgh : printed for and by Robert Fleming,
and sold at the Printing House in Pearson's Closs,
and by several booksellers in town. 1732." In
the previous numbers the absence of the courtesy
title "Mr.," before Fleming's name, had been
conspicuous in the imprints. The change of the
imprint seems to indicate that at a bound Fleming
passed from being a mere salesman of the paper
to being its owner. The new proprietor so far
departed from tradition that he admitted poetry
occasionally.
Wodrow'B "Analecta," III., 213.
Fleming retained control over the journal for
many years. In January, 1745, the imprint ran,
" Edinburgh : printed by Robert Fleming and
Alexander Kincaid, and sold at the said Alexander
Kincaid his shop a little above the Cross, and at
the Printing House in Pearson's Close." It was
the year of the Rebellion, and the Courant took
up a position of violent hostility to the Pretender,
so much so that, as Robert Chambers* says, '* the
editor was burnt in ef!igy at Rome on the loth of
June, 1746." While the rebel army was distant
from Edinburgh, the Courant held high language
of contempt. A poem appeared addressed to the
" Young Chevalier," which began "Presumptuous
Youth." WTien the Highlanders reached Perth,
they were described as "a pitiful, ignorant crew,
good for nothing, and incapable of giving any
reason for their proceedings, but talking only of
Snishing, King Jamesh, ta Rashant, plunter, and
new progues." As the Highlanders neared Edin-
burgh, the tone was distinctly modified, and on
the day when the rebels encamped at Corstorphine,
Monday, September 16, the journal suppressed its
imprint. The number for the following day had
the ordinary imprint, and in addition contained
this note: —
"Bv order of Mr. Murray of Broughton, Secretary,
E<Uubarg)i, September the 18th. Since our last, t^e
Prince witli liis Highland anny has tajcen possession
of this place ; but we must refer you for particulars to
our next."
That number, however, did not appear for a week,
and was then occupied mainly with an account of
the battle of Prestonpans. It had no imprint —
the imprint was not resumed till November 5,
1745. By this time the Prince had left Edinburgh,
and the Courant celebrated the occasion by giving
*' His Majesty's Most Gracious Speech to both
Houses of Parliament," and the loyal addresses
made in response.
As the Courant increased in years, so it also
increased in size and price. Its price was of
necessity largely dependent on the taxes imposed
on newspapers qua newspapers, and on advertise-
ments. On January i, 1753, it appeared as a
4 pp. folio with three columns to page. It was
still sold by Fleming, but at " the first stair below
the Laigh Coffee House, opposite to the Cross,
north side of the street" It said:
"As we are now provided with a large size of paper,
wo take this opportunity to express our acknowledg*
meiits to the public for tlie encouragement we have
hitlierto met with. It was this kind reception and
the great increase of the spirit of advertising, that
determined us long a^o to applv to the Stamp Office
for such paper, by which we might be enabled to give
the public a large quantity of news, and sometimes
papers of entertainment."
Undoubtedly those who bought the journal for its
news and not for its advertisements had reason to
complain. Out of twelve available columns the
*' spirit of advertising" absorbed all but three.
* " History of Rebellion,- I., 28a
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
37
Some confusion crept into the office in 1758, for
all the issues from October 14 to December 30
bear the monotonous number 9558 — a figure which
it is impossible to understand. Before 1767 pub-
lication days were changed to Monday, Wednes-
day, and Saturday.
In 1779 the proprietorship was modified, and
the imprint became ** Edinburgh : printed for and
sold by Fleming and Ramsay, Old Fishmarket
Close, where advertisements," etc. At the same
time the appearance of the journal was consider-
ably altered. The city arms were inserted in the
title, and the printing was better done, new type
being employed. In September, 1785, Ramsay's
name alone is inserted as proprietor. For the
first time, on the 3rd of that month, " Printed by
David Ramsay, Old Fishmarket Close," was in-
serted immediately below the title, and " Sold by
David Ramsay, Fishmarket Close," at the end of
the last column on the last page. The Ramsay
proprietorship continued till i860. Under their
sway the Courant took premier place among the
journals of the capital — a place from which it was
deposed only by the Scotsman. In the first half
of the nineteenth century it stood, as a contem-
porary affirmed, **at the head of the Scottish
newspaper press in point of advertising, and
among the highest in circulation." It led the way
in inserting private letters, and while the events
of the French Revolution were in progress its
conductors succeeded in procuring and printing
intelligence almost as soon as the London papers.
The last of the Ramsay imprints appeared in i860,
and ran in the name of the " Trustees of the late
Patrick Rigg Ramsay."
For a good part of its history the Courant^ like
its contemporaries, had no official who could be
termed the editor in its modern meaning. The
ordinary newspaper was a thing of shreds and
patches, and the printer simply collected into the
same sheet what came to him from various
quarters. The nineteenth century, however,
showed that a change in this mode of conducting
a newspaper was needful, and the Courant had to
appoint a regular editor. The name of the earliest
editor I have met with is that of George Houy,
a man whose history reflects no credit on the
journal. While conducting the Fife Herald^ he
had acquired a reputation for living beyond his
means, and when he came to Edinburgh to take
charge of the Courant in 1826 he did not abandon
his extravagance. In a little over a year he fied
the city, leaving behind him forgeries to an
enormous amount. Many tales are told of his
daring effrontery. He was succeeded by David
Buchanan, who had had editorial experience on
the Weekly Register and the Caledonian Mercury.
Buchanan was the son of that David who intro-
duced the first printing press into Montrose, and
had himself a certain fame as an economist. He
continued in office till his death at Glasgow,
August 13, 1848, in his seventieth year. His
conduct of the paper was fully to the mind of its
proprietors. Despite his age and increasing ill-
health, they declared that age and illness " neither
impaired his mind nor lessened his diligence, as
his latest articles evinced the same vigour and
power, the same clearness and conciseness which
distinguished his early contributions."
For several months after Buchanan's death the
journal remained without an editor, and during
the interregnum it suffered somewhat in prestige.
At last, in 1849, Joseph Robertson was chosen
from among several candidates. He had acted in
a similar capacity on the Aberdeen and Glasgow
Constitutionals y and more than justified his ap-
pointment. When he died in 1866 the Courant
said that *'on the accession of Mr. Robertson
its prosperity was immediately restored, and was
year by year enhanced during his able manage-
ment." His reign, however, was short: in 1853
he was appointed to the Keepership of Scottish
Records in the Register House, Edinburgh.
Dr. Robertson was succeeded by William
Buchanan, who had served on the Ayr Observer ^
and who is said to have been recommended by
Sir Arthur Helps for the post. For long years
the Courant had, like its contemporaries, no
political leanings. As the nineteenth century
advanced it took on a Conservative bias, but when
the condition of the party in Scotland necessitated
an official organ, and the Courant was chosen for
the purpose in i860, Buchanan resigned. On the
recommendation of Lord Stanley, James Hannay,
of literary celebrity, was appointed in his room.
In the beginning of the same year several signifi-
cant changes had been effected in the paper. On
January 2 it appeared as a daily at the price of
one penny, 4 pp. folio, six columns to the page.
At the same time the time-honoured name was
altered to the simple Daily Courant, and a semi-
weekly issue on Tuesday and Friday at the price
of 2d. was undertaken. The imprint on the daily
issue ran : *' Printed and published for the pro-
prietors daily at the Courant Office, 188 High
Street, in the New South Parish in the County
of Edinburgh, by William Veitch of 188 High
Street." In announcing these changes, the Courant
spoke of the prosperity of Scotland during its
career, and added that
" the spirit and enterprise with which it (tlio Courant)
haB complied as necessity called it has been rewarded
with a continuous prosperity, every new adaptation
of form contributing to maintain and increase its hold
upon tlie contldence and esteem of Scotland."
The old name was reverted to on Thursday,
November i, i860, the price of the semi- weekly
edition being raised to 3d. The editor thought it
necessary to justify his reversion to the title,
'* which had been familiar to the Scottish public
since 1718." He said:
"Tiie sliRht anomaly involved in retaining the 'Even-
ing' part of our title is counterbalanced by other
considerations of convenience, and will be pardoned
in a country where such trifles have never weighed
against the advantage of retaining identity of descrip-
tion and form."
38
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES [September, 1900
The word was retained till December 16, 1871,
when it was for ever dropped. The old name was
retained as a running title for one number.
Evidently the price of one penny for the paper
proved a strain on its resources, for on announcing
the amalgamation of the Edinburgh Post and
Scottish Record with the Courant on October 2,
1 861, the editor complained that the same public
who would not grudge expenditure upon other
articles would yet '^look upon us as insane if we
charged them twopence for the Courant.^'
Hannay's management of the paper brought it
into some notoriety. He was outspoken in his
attacks both on persons* and abuses, and wished
to walk a way all his own. Four years after he
had relinquished the editorship (which he did in
December, 1864), Hannay contributed to Temple
Bar a paper entitled "Recollections of a Provin-
cial Editor," in which he gave a roistering account
of his connection with the Courant. A few
sentences run :
"For a time I was assisted by the advice of a com-
mittee of three persons connected with the Journal.
Some public questions arising, one of the three main-
tained a certain view of ib in our columns, and was
attacked hy another of the trio in another letter next
day. This, I think, was the first glimpse I had of the
admirable unity of our party in the North. . . .
Among other prompt discoveries was this, that I must
set my face against being made an instrument in the
perpetration of mean jobs. There was an old law case
going on then, and perhaps still, called the Shilpit
Case. I was absolutely requested by the agent of the
proprietors to insert a leading article on one side of
the question, written or inspired by a partner of the
defendant, who had married the defendant's cook. Of
course I refused point blank.'*
Hannay seems to have enjoyed his experiences in
** Reekyboro'," but there was incompatibility
between him and his post, and he resigned. He
was succeeded by Francis Espinasse.
The reign of Espinasse was notable. He found
the financial position of the paper very bad.
Certain enterprises he inaugurated, however,
helped the journal, like the investigation he con-
ducted into the state of the poor in the city.
When the Derby- Disraeli administration took
office, an eifort was made to turn the Courant
into a more effective party journal, and for this
purpose it was, on the suggestion of Sir Stafford
Northcote, in 1868 bought by Charles Wescomb,
who was or had been an English mayor, and had
already become proprietor of the London Globe.
The arrangement proved a most unhappy one.
The son of the proprietor was appointed manager,
and his behaviour became most offensive to his
colleague. Adopting Hannay's name for the
proprietor, Espinasse says:
"The new regime did not last long, and partly dis-
appointed the Scottish Conservative patrons and dupes
of 'Wegglefe.' . . . 'Weggles' junior had disap-
peared suddenly into space, and ' Weggles ' senior into
the grave. His death involved the ruin of widows and
orphans and others in the West of England. An un-
* A specimen Is referred to in Mrs. Oliphant's " Life of
Principal Tolloofa.
known quantity of the money subscribed for the
Courant tuul been devoted by * Weggles ' to the support
of a very questionable establishment in St. John's
Wood."
By this time Espinasse had resigned. The paper,
too, necessarily changed hands. On September
II, 1869, it appears to be published by George
Dominy for a proprietor who died on August 15,
1870. The journal was put on the market some
months after, and the result is seen in the imprint
for November 14, 1871, when Dominy is set down
as publishing the paper for the Scottish Newspaper
Company. Dominy's name is dropped out on
August II, 1873. Between Espinasse's withdrawal
and the discontinuance of the paper, it was in
charge of several editors. The succession was —
James S. Henderson, James Mure, and W. R.
Lawson, who "saw it die."
As an auxiliary to the Courant ^ the Evening
Express was started in 1880. No. i, Saturday,
March 6, 1880. 4 pp. folio, six columns to the
page. Printed and published for the proprietors
by G. Gillies, at No. 12 St. Giles Street, in the
High Church Parish in the County of Edinburgh.
The Express professed to have no politics — "it
makes its appeal to no one section or party," but
this was in word rather than in practice. It also
declared it intended to cater for ladies whose
journalistic needs had been neglected. The
Express, however, was a weakness to the Courant
all along, and it ended with the parent journal.
The end came with the issue for February 6,
1886. It was then incorporated with the Glasgow
News, and the joint journal was published in the
Western metropolis under the name of The Scottish
News. It is noteworthy that its disappearance
synchronised with the accession of Gladstone and
the Liberal party to power. The Courant, in
announcing the change, said that
"Tlie proprietors, ... in taking this step, are
adapting their journal to the necessities of the day";
but the combined paper lasted for a very short
time. When the change was made, the Scotsman.
was jubilant. Its only serious rival was removed,
and its vials of scorn were poured out on the
paper which, although liberally subsidised, could
not yet contrive to exist. The Courant, it said,
had "died from want of nourishment. . . .
It had an honourable youth and manhood, and a
miserable and decrepit old age."
"It has had to print the letters of correspondents
whose effusions had for good reasons been refused
publication elsewhere. It has had to defend Lord
Randolph Churchill, to preach protection, to teach, %m
far as it could, the new Toryism ; and it has found an
unmerciful deliverance at the hands of Mr. ReginiUd
Macleod. Who can wonder at the death ? Who can
fail to pity it?"
The defunct paper, however, left an honourable
residue behind it in the " Courant Fund," which
for a number of years has been worked for the
benefit of poor children.
A notice of the Edinburgh Courant would be
incomplete without a reference to the claim re-
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
39
peatedly made during the last years of its exis-
tence, viz., that it was the journal which started
in 1705. Sometimes the claim was made without
qualification, and at other times in such a hesitat-
ing manner as to show that some doubt existed in
regard to its legitimacy. The testimony of the
Courant itself is not beyond reproach, for it
vacillated between independency of the 1705 paper
and a full claim of descent from it. In 1838 its
own pages declared it to be " Established 1718."
On January 2, i860, however, the unqualified
statement is made that it was *' exactly 154 years
since the first impression of the Courant appeared."
In the following November the editor is not so
confident. Speaking of the title, the Edinburgh
Evening Courant, he said it had
"been familiar to the Scottish public siDce 1718.
There were CourarUs earlier than that, which we are
entitled to claim in our ancestry, but we are content
to date from the period when we assumed this exact
appellation— two years before the existence of our
oldest Edinburgh contemporary " —
that is, the Caledonian Mercury , which beg^n in
1720. The advertisement offering the paper for
sale in March, 187 1, blunderingly stated that it
was *' established in 1718 under the editorship of
Daniel Defoe.*' In the last years of its life,
" Established 1705 " was boldly printed on each
issue, and the concluding number, in its "swan
song," as confidently referred to itself as
" The Courant which was established in 1705 as a small
sheet at a high price, and has on several occasions
changed its form and varied its price."
It will thus be observed that the claim grew more
sturdy as the paper grew more feeble, and when
men who were complete strangers to its past were
in possession of it. So far as I can discover, the
first hint of the claim is to be found in the his-
torical notice of the journal which Dr. Robertson
printed in its columns in 1850.
The early history of the three Courants put it
beyond question that the journal which died in
1886 went no further back than 17 18. The second
Courant, instead of being a continuation of the
first, was intended to suppress it, as is abundantly
proved firom the fact that each of them sent out
separate issues on March 20, 17 10. The first had
no connection with the third, because they ran
alongside of each other for nearly two years, if my
conjecture that the Scots Courant was the con-
tinuation of the Courant of 1705 is true, as I have
no doubt it is. The second Courant had obviously
no connection with the third, for an interval of
eight years elapsed between them. Besides all
this, the Courant of 17 18 inserted the word
" Evening" in the title, with the evident intention
of letting all interested know that it drew a dis-
tinction between itself and the earlier journals.
If anything more is needed to prove that the three
papers stood aloof from each other, it is to be
found in the fact that they had all different pro-
moters and printers. It is to be feared that the
Courant which ended in 1886, had its age in-
creased for purposes of advertising only.
26 Circus Drive, W. J. Co u per.
Glasgow.
Adam King.— The Scottish Text Societ/s
publication for 1901, "Catholic Tractates of the
i6th Century," contains Adam King's translation
of Canisius* "Catechism and Kalendar of Saints,"
printed at Paris in 1588. The editor, the late
T. G. Law, LL.D. apparently knew no more
about this Scottish writer than what could be
gleaned from the title page of his book : that he
had been a professor of philosophy and mathe-
matics in the University of Paris. If Dr. Law
had looked up Dempster's " Historia Ecclesia-
stica Gentis Scotorum," No. 1,090, under the
heading of "Adamus Regius," he would have
found both the Catechism and Kalendar men-
tioned amongst King's writings, also his Latin
poems, and a treatise, "De Theoria Planetarium."
He would have learned likewise that King had
retired from his French professorship to his
native city, Edinburgh, and was in practice there
as an advocate and commissary. If Dr. Law
had also consulted the " Delitiae Poetarum
Scotorum" (1637), he would find Adamo Regio
(Adam King) well represented with a poem on
the nativity of Our Savioiu- ("Genothliacon lesu
Christi **), a panegyric on James VI. succeeding
to the English throne, and a supplement to
Buchanan's 4th book, " De Sphsera," 610 lines,
and another supplement of 82 lines to the 5th
book. These two additions to Buchanan are
included in Ruddiman's edition, 2 vols., 4to,
1725, and are eulogised by Dempster as "an
elegant and erudite work." King died in Edin-
burgh in 1620, and his library was sold for
2,000 merks to Robert Monro of Cantullich.
{Vide " Baunat. Miscell.," 1836, Vol. II., p. 190.)
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
Freemasonry Terms. — Freemason.— Tyl-
ing a Lodge,— fis. freemason could produce ac-
curate and ornamental work in freestone, that
is, a sandstone which could be easily split in any
direction. Freemasons at a job had a small
lodge or hut, usually roofed with tiles. Before
beginning to speak of any matter requiring
secrecy, all apertures between the roof and the
walls were closed up. The officer whose duty
it is to secure privacy at Masonic meetings is
called the tyler — a term derived from Latin
teguluy a tile, through French tuile, a tile.
John Milne, LL.D.
40
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES [September, 1906
GORDON BOOK-PLATES.
(2nd S, , IV, , 177, 178; V. , SO. )
The following notes on Gordon book-plates
are supplementary to what has already been
written. They are extracted from the "Sale
Catalogue I of the well-known | extensive and
valuable collection of | Book- Plates | (ex-libris)
I of the late | Julian Marshall, Esq. | Sotheby,
Wilkinson, & Hodge, London, May, 1906," pp.
90-91. Lots 384-387 consisted of 135 examples
of book-plates. Mr. J. Malcolm Bulloch may
be able to trace the purchaser of these items.
1 herewith append the list of those whose names
are briefly described in the catalogue :
(Gordon) anon., Chippendale ; (Gordon) At-
chivement of the Right Honble. John, Earl
of Aboyn, 1719, early armorial^ rare ; James
Gordon of Gordon Bank, early Jacobean^ by
Burden ; Gordon of Halleaths, Chippendale ;
Gordon of Carnousie, Jacobean ; Edwd. Gor-
don, Chippendale ; John Gordon, Chippendale ;
Alexander Gordon, Jacobean ; Robert Gordon
of Hallhead, Chippendale, two states ; Mrs.
Gordon, Chippendale, lozenge \ Jams. Gordon,
Chippendale, by Gretton ; Sir Ernest Gordon of
Park, Bart, and Park, 177^6, Jacobean, two states
of the sante plate \ (Gordon) 2Jior\., Jacobean ;
Henry Wm. Gordon, Jacobean, two different
plates ; James Gordon of Cobairdy, Jacobean ;
(Gordon) anon., Chippendale, bookpile ; Gordon
of Earlestoun, Bart., early armorial ; Thomas
Gordon, Chippendale, trophy ; (Gordon) Right
Honourable the Viscount of KGnmore, Jficobean ;
(Gordon) Visct. of Kenmore, Chippendale; Alexr.
Gordon of Crogo, Jacobean ; Honble. John
Gordon of Kenmore, Chippendale ; Pryce Lock-
hart Gordon, pictorial, two impressions, one
printed in red ; T. Gordon, 50th Regt., Chippen-
dale, trophy, QoxAono{QxA\%, Jacobean; (Duke
of Gordon) ^.non., Jacobean ; The Arms of His
Grace Cosmo George, Duke of Gordon, Jaco-
bean, two sizes ; (Duke of Gordon) anon.,
Jacobean, two states ; The Arms of Her Grace
Henrietta, Duchess of Gordon, early armorial ;
Mr. Cosmo Gordon, advocate, and Mr. Baron
Gordon, Jacobean, two states of the same plate ;
Robert Gordon of Cluny, 17 10, early armorial,
a very rare little Scotch plate; Charles Gordon
of Abergeldie, Chippendale; Sr. William Gordon
of Inver Gordon, Bart., early armorial; Dr.
James Gordon of Pitlurg, early Jacobean ; Dr.
James Gordon, Jacobean, by T. Smith ; Lewis
Gordon of T^chmuxx^, Jacobean; William Gor-
don of Craig, Chippendale ; Gordon of Ard-
mealie, and Robt. Gordon of Logie, Jacobean ;
Cha. Gordon, Chippendale ; Alexander Gordon,
Chippendale; Atchivement Gordon of Glen-
bucket, early Jacobean ; Alexr. Gordon of Cul-
venan, advocate, Jacobean ; Fredricus Gordon,
Pharm., Dublin, Jacobean ; Lieut. Col. Thos.
Gordon, First Regt. of Foot Guards, Chippen-
dale, trophy.
Anyone who has looked at books published
by subscription long ago will be at once struck
with the numbers of Gordons who supported
and influenced writers of merit, and how in
many instances books were dedicated and pre-
sented to them. Let me cite one in particular,
which is well known to local book collectors.
1 refer to William Thom's second edition of
"Rhymes and Recollections by a Hand-loom
Weaver." The presentation reads thus :
This Book is Presented
TO
EMMA KATHERINE GORDON,
Lady of Knockespock,
BY
The Author,
Who had the happiness for a time to be a sharer
in the general gladness of her home; where
many, as well as he, regret
She leaves, when autumn weary
Bids winter waste the plain ;
She looks on lands mair cheary
'Til ours are green again.
Oh, would she dwell amang us
Where dales are deep wi' snaw,
Dour winter could na wrang us,
Nor simmer seem awa*.
Knockespock,
September, 1844.
Aberdeen.
Robert Murdoch.
Scotsmen in the Russian Navy (2nd S.,
III., 5; VI., 171; VII., 45).— The Aberdeen
Jourmil of 25th July this year mentions the
death at Warsaw of Lieutenant-General J. G.
Macdonald, a descendant of one of the many
Scottish soldiers of fortune who settled in Russia
in the days of Peter the Great, or during the
eighteenth century. Born in 1853, Macdonald
passed through the Nicolas Engineering School,
and entered the service of the Navy. He
directed the reconstruction of the forts at
Kronstadt, and he built new forts there, while
he was the moving spirit in constructing the
Russian naval base at Libau in the Baltic pro-
vinces, now known as the "Czar Alexander III.
Harbour." In the Far East Lieutenant-General
Macdonald was responsible for a number of
fortifications. He is described as a type of
officer that is only too rare in Russia.
Robert Murdoch.
Vol VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
41
FORFARSHIRE AS A FACTOR IN
SCOTTISH LIFE AND THOUGHT.
That an Angus ecclesiastic should have had
the chief share in drawing up a State paper so
eloquently expressive of a heroic nation's resolve
is no small honour to the people of this shire,
and, doubtless, the recollection of that fact must
have helped to kindle a patriotic glow in many
a subsequent son of Angus who was privileged
to exhibit a similar spirit of steadfast resolve in
the future emergencies and crises in which they
were called to take part. Who, for example,
can fail to catch an echo of this noble remon-
strance in the brave words used once and again
by another Forfarshire man, the heroic Andrew
Melville, when, in defence of what he regarded
as the crown rights of King Jesus, he dared to
repel the threats addressed to him by the then
regent, the tyrannous Earl of Morton, in the
indignant and contemptuous speech, "Tush !
sir, threaten your courtiers in that fashion. It
is the same to me whether I rot in the air or
in the ground. The earth is the Lord's ; and
my fatherland is wherever well-doing is. I haiff
been ready to giff my life whair it was nocht
half sa Weill waired, at the pleasour of my God.
I leived out of your country ten years as \vt\\\ as
in it. Yet, God be glorified, it will nocht lie in
your power to hang nor exile His truth." Some-
times, exclaims a recent commentator on this
scene, words show as true valour as the doughtiest
deeds of battle, and give the man who has uttered
them a place for ever in the book of honour.
"They even pass into the storehouse of our
most cherished legends, and as often as crises
occur in our history which make a severe de-
mand on our virtue, they are recalled to stir the
moral pulse of the nation and brace it to its
duty." No man, I believe, in Scottish history
has left his country a richer legacy of this kind
than the Forfarshire ecclesiastic whose services
we are now recalling.
But perhaps a nobler and more characteristic
speech was that which some years later the same
heroic leader ventured to deliver to the very
king himself when that monarch was bent on
destroying the spiritual freedom of the Scottish
Church. " Sir," exclaimed the intrepid defender
of the liberties of the Kirk, as he took His
Majesty by the sleeve to speak to him the more
freely, "Sir, we will humbly reverence Your
Majesty, always namely in public, but sen we
have this occasion to be with you in private, and
the truth is, ye are brought in extreme danger
baith of your life and crown, and with you the
country and Kirk of Christ is like to wrack for
not telling you the truth and giving you a faith-
ful counsel, we man discharge our duty thairin
or else be traitors baith to Christ and you. And,
thairfer, sir, as divers times before, so now again
I man tell you, thair is twa kings and twa king-
doms in Scotland. Thair is Christ Jesus, the
king, and His kingdom the Kirk, whase subject
King James the Saxt is, and of whose kingdom
nocht a king, nor a lord, nor a head, but a
member." " Where," cries the eloquent author
from whom I have already quoted, " Where did
a subject ever use a manlier freedom with his
sovran ? When did mere titular kingship more
plainly shrink into insignificance in presence of
the moral majesty vested in the spirit of a true
man?" And in view of all the influence that
such a noble life as Andrew Melville's has exerted
upon his country, who does not feel that there
was little if any exaggeration in the judgment
which James Melville passed upon his uncle
when he said concerning him that "Scotland
never received a greater benefit at the hands of
God than this man." For assuredly he is one
of those great personalities of our history who
have left us an example of the moral daring
which is the greatest property of the human
soul and the spring of its noblest achievements.
"It is to men like Melville, who have a higher
patriotism than that which is bounded by any
earthly territory, whose country is the realm of
Truth, whose loyalty transcends submission to
any human sovran, that every people owes its
noblest heritage. Such are the men who have
been the makers of Scotland. Sic fortes Etruria
crevitr And to the crowded ranks of those hero
spirits whom our Scottish Etruria has produced,
few Scottish shires have, I believe, contributed
a more conspicuous share than has the little
shire on our eastern sea board, bordering on the
cold North Sea, of which we are wont to speak
as " the Land of the Lindsays."
That I am not exaggerating in making the
claim that Angus has been well-nigh as con-
spicuous in providing Scotland with great and
worthy leaders as any other even of Scotland's
most illustrious counties will be freely admitted
I think, when I mention that among the spiritual
heroes of Forfarshire are names so treasured
and revered as those of Walter Miln, the last to.
suffer martyrdom for the Protestant cause in
Scotland, and of John Erskine of Dun, who may
be described as the great torch -bearer of the
Reformation in Angus and Mearns. Erskine, at
an early age, travelled in Germany, where he
formed a friendship with some of the leading
Reformers. Then returning to Scotland, marvel-
lously illuminated for these times, he became an
ardent and successful evangelist of the new
42
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES [September, 1906
faith, and to him the Wisharts of Pitarrow, the
Melvilles of Baldovy and Dysart, the Stratouns
of Lauriston and Whitstoun were indebted for
the light of life and the Protestant principles
which nerved two of them to accept the crown
of martyrdom. But there were other Angus
men scarcely less active reformers than Erskine.
Among them I may mention those doughty
champions of the Reformation the Wedderbums
and Halyburtons of Dundee, whose exertions did
so much to make of that Angus seaport, and the
adjoining district, such a citadel of Protestantism
as caused it to be known in that age as ''the
Scottish Geneva."
Among the Forfarshire names of that stirring
epoch in our national history that are equally
memorable with those already noticed, may be
mentioned those of David Ferguson, the first
Protestant minister of Dunfermline, a man of
fearless and unflinching: integrity and outspoken
candour; of James Melville of Anstruther, a
figure in our Presbyterian Church life scarcely
less noticeable than that of his more enterprising
uncle Andrew ; of Alexander Leighton, too, the
Puritan author, whose ears were cropped by
Laud, and whose son — the more celebrated arch-
bishop of the same name — was a patriot Chris-
tian, who, though a man of a very different
temper from his father, was yet animated by a
no less heroic and reverent spirit. As types of
the same sturdy and unbending manhood, figur-
ing, however, at a somewhat later period in the
great struggle of the Scottish Church for spiritual
independence, I may here add those other Angus |
names — James Guthrie, of Stirling,' one of the i
protomartyrs of the Covenant, after the Restora-
tion of the Stuarts in 1660; William Guthrie, of
Fenwick, also, and James Durham, of Govan,
two Covenanting leaders from this same shire,
who, though they were spared to die in their
beds, were, nevertheless, as brave-spirited heroes
of the Presbyterian party as any even of the
gallant stalwarts who were honoured " to glorify
God in the Saltmarket," as they were then wont
to express it, " by sealing their testimony with
their blood."
But why should I limit my list of Angus
heroes to one side of Church politics when it is
a fact that Forfarshire claims to have produced
Cavalier and Episcopal champions so illustrious
as James Graham, the great Marquis of Mont-
rose — a man whom Lord Macauiay describes
as worthy to be placed alongside the heroes of
Plutarch, while Dr. Gardiner, the best historian
of the Stuart period, enthusiastically affirms
regarding him that, " when once he had chosen
his side, he was sure to bear himself as a pjaladin
of old romance ? If he made any cause his own.
it was not with the reasoned calculation of a
statesman, but with the fond enthusiasm of a
lover. Nature had marked him for a life of
meteoric splendour, to confound and astonish a
world, and to leave behind him an imperishable
renown and a name which would outlast the
ruin of his hopes."
I dare not say that many of the Episcopalians
of Angus exhibited, either in the 17th centur>' or
subsequently, much of the heroic quality of their
great leader Montrose. But that he had many
successors and imitators is proved by the fact
that, in the next generation, they produced
Jacobite leaders so conspicuous and illustrious
as, on the one hand, John Graham, Viscount
Dundee, the remarkable man known to the
Presbyterians of the West as "the Bloody
Claverse," while by his Episcopalian comrades
of the East and North he was more affectionately
designated as "Bonny Dundee"; and, on the
other, as Sir George Mackenzie, the distinguished
man of letters and judge, who prosecuted so
many of the Covenanters and secured their
conviction, and who as a consequence has been
branded by Presbyterian writers as " the Bluidy
Mackenzie"; while, as a token that the influence
of Montrose did not soon die out, it may be
further added that the Jacobite and Episcopal
party continued throughout the i8th century to
be very influential in many of the Forfarshire
parishes. Thus in Montrose, Brechin, Glammis,
Mary ton, Glenlee, and other parishes probably
the majority of the people disliked the Revolu-
tion Settlement and sympathized with the exiled
Stuart family, while it is an undoubted fact that
most, if not all, of the leading nobles were "out"
either in the Rebellion of 171 5 or 1745 or in
both.
Nor was it, I may add here, exclusively in
their native soil that the adventurous sons of
this shire showed their courage and hardihood.
For they were not stay-at-homes, these dwellers
by the cold North Sea. On the contrary they
have roamed far and wide over the earth,
fighting as soldiers of fortune in foreign wars,
scheming in the politics and bringing themselves
forward as actors in the stirring events and
shifting scenes of European history. "They
fought in the wars of the Low Countries against
the Spaniard, served in the Protestant army of
Gustavus Adolphus, formed part of the Scottish
Brigade in the pay of the United Provinces
against the soldiers of Louis XIV., and have
left their bones under a halo of glory on the
banks of the Rhine. Many of them, too, settled
in Poland and Russia, and gained distinction in
the land of their adoption." Moreover, since
Britain's colonial expansifui began in good
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
43
earnest under Chatham in the i8th century,
many sons of Angus have achieved honour in
India, America, Australia, and Africa. One of
the most recent illustrations of this fact, I may
remind my readers, was given a few years ago
by a representative of one of the oldest families
in the shire— the gallant Earl of Airlie, who
played, as will be remembered, no insignificant
part in the recent war with the Transvaal
Republic in South Africa. |
And yet, how tenderly these wide-rangingheroes
love their native land. From the far distant
homes of their adoption as pioneers and colonists,
in the remote plains of New Zealand or British
Columbia, whither they have carried their
strong powers of endurance, their practical
sense and knowledge of worldly things, and
where, perhaps, the hard side of their nature is
most discernible, though, I believe, even there it
is seldom unmingled with a vein of romance, of
sentiment, and of feeling, as well as a keen
appreciation of wit not often to be found in their
Southern neighbours : I repeat, from practically
every comer of the habitable globe the hearts
of these faithful sons of Angus turn in passionate
attachment to the well-remembered scenes of
their boyhood's days. And, though he was not a
Forfarshire man himself, I am persuaded that
the late Robert Louis Stevenson was only giving
expression to the deep-felt emotions of every
exiled son of Angus, when, from his pleasant
banish inent in the far South Seas, that most
lovable of recent Scots writers sang sweetly of
his pathetic longing to return once more before
he died to breathe afresh the bracing air of the
old homeland. The noble and thrilling lines
are probably known to all my readers, but I
cannot deny myself the pleasure of rehearsing
them here :
Blows the wind to-day, and the sun and the rain are
flying,
Blows the wind on the moors to-day, and now —
Where about the graves of the martyrs the whaups
are crying —
My heart remembers now.
Grey recumbent tombs of the dead in desert places,
Standing stones on the vacant wine-red moor,
Hills, of sheep and the homes of the silent vanished
races,
And winds, austere and pure.
Be it granted to me to behold you again in dying,
Hills of home, and to hear again the call ;
Hear about the graves of the martyrs the peewit
crying.
And hear no more at all
I need not refer at any length to the part taken
by Forfarshire in the agitation for Parliamentary
Reform and other liberal measures. I will only
allude, before closing this hurried sketch of For-
farshire's contribution to Scottish history, to the
fact that, among the early champions and martyrs
of that struggle, this Shire furnished such gallant
and determined leaders as George Mealmaker,
who was sent as a convict to Australia for being
a dangerous political agitator, and, as Sir George
Kinloch, who had to flee to France to escape a
similar fate, as well as James Mill, his son, John
Stuart Mill, and Joseph Hume, that incorruptible
Radical, who did so much to expose and remedy
the financial scandals of his day and generation
in Parliament.
In connection with the later movement that
led to the formation of the Free Church ot
Scotland, the men of this shire, though not so
prominent as those of some other shires, yet
played a characteristic and noble part It was
here that the saintly Robert Murray Maccheyne
began the great spiritual awakening, which,
culminating under the ministry of that other
Angus-born evangelist, the Rev. William Chal-
mers Bums, and spreading to many other
Scottish counties, did so much to prepare the
people of Scotland for the heroic step of 1843,
while among the leaders of that great move-
ment, who were natives of this shire, may be
mentioned the names of Dr. John Bruce, Dr.
Thomas Guthrie, Dr, Samuel Miller, and Pro-
fessor I slay Burns.
Finally, it may be added that, in the move-
ment of Scottish theological thought in the
19th century towards a broader and more
generous conception of what is essential to a
true and valid Christianity, either in life or
thought, this shire has contributed its fair share.
For it will be remembered that Thomas Erskine
of Linlathen, the real founder of Broad Church
theology alike in England and Scotland, was
identified with this county by residential connec-
tion at least. And it was to Erskine, by their
own confession, that Maurice in England and
Macleod Campbell in Scotland were indebted
for those conceptions of the Atonement which
have had so great an effect on later English
and American popular religious thought ; while
in the United Presbyterian Church theological
development the influence of George Gilfillan,
and later of David Macrae of Dundee, has been
equally felt in diffusing similar sentiments.
Nor, I think, should I forget here to notice
the fact that the initiation of the second and
finally successful movement towards the union
of the Free Church and the United Presbyterian
Church was greatly facilitated, if indeed it was
not positively set agoing, by the action of an
influential body of elders and other office-bearers
44
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES [September, 1906
of the Free Churches in Dundee, who a few
years before 1900 began to agitate for the
resuscitation of the negotiations which had pre-
viously proved abortive. An interesting and
suggestive fact, proving that Forfarshire is still,
as in the whole past history of the Scottish
Church, found well to the fore when there is any
movement afoot for the advancement either of
civil liberty or spiritual progress.
And now, before concluding these general
reflections, I would only like to add one further
comment. It is this, that I And a source of
personal satisfaction in the thought that the
existing rationalizing school of Higher Critics
in connection with the Scottish churches does
not seem to have been largely reinforced from
this shire ; while probably the most powerful
preacher of the old orthodoxy in doctrine, as
modified by a broad and genial culture, which
our generation has seen, hails from Kirriemuir
in Angus, in the person of Doctor Alexander
Whyte of St. George's, Edinburgh.
I have, I fear, by these discursory remarks,
kept my readers too long from the analysis and
review of that specific .ntellectual output of the
district which is, after all, the most original
and, I hope, the most valuable feature of these
essays. Accordingly, I now invite attention to
a brief summary of the conclusions in regard to
the special character of the Angus intellect and
its achievements, to which a careful considera-
tion of my statistics has led me.
The first point, then, which impresses me in
connection with the Forfarshire intellect is this,
that, unlike the intellect of Aberdeen, Argyll,
and Banff, where the population has shown a
predominant bias to secular pursuits, as contra-
distinguished from those of a more idealist or
spiritual character, Forfarshire, at least as it
appears in my statistics, is distinctly character-
ised by as idealising a faculty as we saw Ayrshire
and Berwickshire to be in our essay on these
counties. I hardly think it possible to account
for the differences in this direction which my
statistics reveal, but I can hardly believe it is
altogether without significance that in each of
these counties the population played a specially
large part in the struggles, alike for the national
independence and for spiritual freedom and
ecclesiastical reform. There may also be some-
thing in the fact that in each of these counties,
while the original underlying basis of the popu-
lation is Celtic, yet the intruding Saxon and
Teutonic element has so successfully dominated
and modified the Celtic as not only to force its
own language on the combined people, but to
stamp upon that people its own energy and
serious steadfastness.
It is interesting to note in this connection
that I find on examination that the adjoining
county of Perth also exhibits a preponderating
bias in the intellect of its notable sons towards
spiritual or idealist pursuits. In Perthshire,
however, the idealising tendency has not taken
the same bias as in Forfarshire. For while
Perthshire's idealist predominance is due, in
the first instance, to the exceptionally large
number of ecclesiastics, spiritual teachers, mis-
sionaries, and saints which that shire has pro-
duced ; in Forfarshire, on the other hand,
though the number of the notable sons of the
county who have distinguished themselves as
divines or saints is by no means small, yet that
number has been considerably exceeded by the
number of the poets and artists of various kinds
that have been bom and reared within its
bounds. It may be thought, perhaps, that this
result is due to the exceptional research dis-
played by Mr. D. M. Edwards of Brechin and
Mr. Reid of Dundee, in the interesting and
carefully compiled volumes in which they have
enshrined so much out-of-the-way information,
particularly with regard to the poets of their
native shire. I am ready, indeed, for my part,
frankly, to admit that, in all likelihood, the bias
of what I may describe as local patriotism has
something to do with the prominent place that
Mr. Edwards has given to the bards of Angus
in his voluminous work, entitled " Modern Scot-
tish Poets." But having made large and in-
dependent researches of my own for many years
in the same field of inquiry, I am satisfied that
the conclusion reached by Mr. Edwards is on
the whole one that the facts warrant. Mr.
Edwards places Forfarshire third on the roll of
Scottish counties as he arranges them in respect
to their relative fertility in poetical writers. His
order is as follows : —
1. Lanarkshire with 144 poets.
2. Edinburghshire with 141 poets.
3. Forfarshire with 1 30 poets.
4. Aberdeenshire with 106 poets.
5. Ayrshire with 72 poets.
6. Fifeshire with 68 poets.
7. Perthshire with 64 poets.
Now, twenty years ago, in writing an essay on
"The Poets and Poetry of Scotland," based on
my own investigations, I also drew up a synop-
tical table of the same kind as Mr. Edwards
has done, and as the results reached by me
correspond closely with those pubhshed by Mr.
Edwards, it may be interesting to compare the
two tables. The following, then, is my list,
showing the order of merit relative to their
fertility in poetical names reached by the first
Vol. VIII., 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
45
seven counties of Scotland, according to the
information I had gathered twenty years ago : —
1. Lanarkshire with 218 poets.
2. Edinburghshire with 217 poets.
3. Forfarshire with 171 poets.
4. Aberdeenshire with 167 poets.
5. Ayrshire with 161 poets.
6. Perthshire with 139 poets.
7. Fifeshire with 128 poets.
W. B. R. W.
To be ccntinued,
*
Still Room. — What is a still room? A room
in a large mansion wherein the housekeeper
and her assistant prepare tea and coffee for the
family and visitors, and make preserves, cakes,
and biscuits, and so on. It was formerly the
workroom of the lady of the house when en-
gaged in making household cordials, some of
which required the use of a small still. In a
smaller class of residence, this room frequently
relieves the kitchen of all the lesser cooking
and of pastry making. It should be near the
store and housekeeping rooms.
John Milne, LL.D.
dluedes.
769. Henry Shanks. — Is Henry Shanks, "the
blind bard of Bathgate," who issued an interesting
book in 1881, "The Peasant Poets of Scodand,"
with original pieces, still alive ? If so, he must be
nearing his eightieth year. Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
770. A. J. Warden. — In 1864 Mr. Alex. J.
W^arden, of Dundee, published an able and exhaus-
tive work on " The Linen Trade, Ancient and
Modern." He was also author of a history of the
County of Angus, in several volumes. I saw an
allusion to him as " the late." When was the date
of his death ? Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
^X. Peter Paterson.— About the close of the
fiiues of last century there was published in Edin-
burgh " Reminiscences of the Scottish Stage," by
Peter Paterson. It was written in a genial and
graphic style, and contained many droll original
anecdotes. Was " Peter Paterson " an assumed
name ? Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
772. ** Thole, and Think On!"— Such is the
quamt inscription upon an old, weather-stained,
moss-encrusted tombstone in Liberton Kirkyard,
near Edinburgh. At first I thought that it was the
stump of a tree, as it was solitary, but on wading
through the long grass I found that it was a stone.
' It startled me, this voice from the grave, but on
reflection I considered that the admonition was
' addressed to the descendants of "the poor inhabitant
I below." The rudiments of a romantic tale are con-
cealed in this counsel. Was it a story of grievous
wrong unredressed, or of a bloody feud unavenged ?
"Endure, yet remember," "Sufrer, but dinna for-
get" — such is the meaning, as I take it, of this
singular warning. Is there any account of this stone
in the history of Liberton ? I cannot glean any-
thing here. Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
773. The Clan Maclean. — In 1838 there was
published by Smith, Elder, & Co., London, a
"Historical and Genealogical Account of the Clan
of Maclean,* from its First Settlement at Castle
Duart, in the Isle of Mull, to the Present Period.
By a Seneachie." Who was this clan historian?
He expresses his obligations to Mr. Charles Hope
Maclean, seventh son of the 13th Laird of Ardgour,
for defraying the expenses of publication. The book
extends to 356 pages, and is brought up to date, full
memoirs being given of the chiefs, eminent clansmen,
and collateral branches. Amongst the curious in-
formation embodied in it is a brief memorial of the
Swedish Counts Maclean, their progenitor being
Sir John Maclean (youngest son of Hector Gig of
Duart), who was knighted by Charles I. and sent on
a mission to Sweden in 1641. When the Civil
War broke out in Britain, he married and settled in
Gothenburg. Five of his sons entered the Swedish
service, and became distinguished soldiers.
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
774. Farquhars in Longside, Aberdeenshire.
— Additional information is wanted on the under-
noted Farquhars who are buried in the Longside
churchyard : —
(i) Erected by | James Farquhar, | Longside,
to the memory of his | wife, Ann Henderson, who
I died 26th November, 1822, aged 35 years; | also
two infant children. | The above James Farquhar,
I died loth April, 1851, aged 79 years.
(2) Erected | by | John Farquhar, Merchant and
Bank Agent, | Mintlaw, | in memory of | Elizabeth
Farquhar, his wife, who died | 27th November,
1871, aged 57 years; | and their son, | William,
who died 20th October, 1849, aged 2 years ; | here
also is interred the above John Farquhar, who
died 24th December, 1886, aged 80 years.
(3) In I memory | Charles Farquhar, | Bank
Agent, I Mintlaw, { born 12th August, 1849, died
23rd January, 1897.
One of the above surname informs me that several
hail from the district near the Hill of Fare, one of
whom is said to have written a history of the clan.
I have failed to ascertain whether the history was in
MS. or it it appeared in print. No references can
46
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES [September, 1906
be had either in Mr. Robertson's or Mr. Kelias
Johnstone's bibliographies of Aberdeen, etc.
Robert Murdoch.
775. William Farquhar, 1724, Author. —
What is known of this author or his descendants ?
The late William Ferguson, LL.D., of Kinmundy,
mentions him in his book, ** Twelve Sketches of the
Scenery and Antiquities on the Line of the Great
North of Scotland Railway " (Edinburgh : David
Douglas, MDCccLxxxiii.), illustrated by George Reid,
R.S.A., at p. Qi, when writing on Tilquhillie Castle
— a MS. in the Advocates Library printed by the
Spalding Club, entitled: '* A Description ot the
Parish of Upper Banchory in the Merns, by William
Farquhar, a.d. 1724" — thus mentions Tilquhillie : —
**Tilquhilly is on the south side of Dee, one mile
from and opposite to Banchory. A moss, south
therefrom three-quarters of a mile, is called the
Mulloch." Robert Murdoch.
776. McPhekson alias McWillie. — The fol-
lowmg entries appear in the Inveravon Parish
Registers : —
John McWillie, alias McPherson, in (this)
Parish, and Elspet Stuart in the Parish of Glen-
bucket, were matrimonially contracted January
3d, 1752, and being orderly proclaimed and no
objection made, were married Janry 28th.
John McLean and Elizabeth McPherson, alias
McWillie, both in this parish, after being matri-
monially contracted and regularly proclaimed,
were married July gth, 1771.
I should be glad of any information respecting
descendants of the above, particularly as to the name
now borne by descendants of the first-mentioned
couple. H. D. McW.
Budwets.
193. W. J. LiNT0N*s Origin (2nd S., IIL, 185 ;
IV., 16 ; Vn., 94). — At the back of a family tomb-
stone in Longside Churchyard the following inscrip-
tion will be seen: — "In Memory of | Alexander
Linton, farmer, Baluss, | who died April 8, 1837, |
in the 8oth year of his age ; | his wife, Margaret
Catto, i died April 10, 1794, | aged about 30 years. {
As a debt of gratitude their grandson, | Alexander
Johnston, farmer, Pettymarcus, | erected this memo-
rial, 1879." I Robert Murdoch.
707. Brodie (2nd S., VII., 175). —The surname
of Brodie is held by some Scottish antiquaries to
be purely Pictish, derived from Brudi (Latinized
Brudaeus), the last king of the Picts, a.d. 833. Brudi
is no myth, for his name, more or less changed,
occurs in all our early historieR, and even in the
Chartulary of St Andrews. "Brodie" is certainly
Scotch for a little board, but such a sophistical
derivation will not suffice for an ancient and reput-
able family like that of the Brodies, which can be
traced before 1300. The name is likewise spelt
I Brothie in old deeds, and this might give the modern
iconoclast a wrinkle to infer that the first of the
name was a dwarfish cook, for there is a tendency
nowadays to belittle everything. Yet we have such
surnames still, varied considerably, and with " Mac"
or "son" tagged to them, as Fergus, Diarmid,
Angus, Niall, Dovenald, Connal, Gregor, Ferquhard,
Dugall, Alpin, DufTus, Ross, and Duncan — names
of the mighty chiefs of a remote past : then why not
Brodie, adopted from the last king of Pictland, who
by all accounts was a brave and sagacious leader ?
I dare not say that the present possessors of such
names are descendants, although in Highland
genealogies they are maintained to be taken from
some eminent warrior. Doubtless many of those
surnames were adopted in honour of the early
chieftains. The late George Brodie, Historiographer
for Scotland, was ironically complimented in Black-
wood^ 5 Magazine upon " his Pictish patronymic"
" Brodiesford," taking a common-sense view, would
simply mean a ford first used by one named Brodie.
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
744. The Haigs of Bemersvde (2nd S.,VIII.,
12). — Mr. Robert Murdoch invites comments on
" T. D. W.*s" statement about the Haigs of Bemer-
syde in the December issue of The Scottish Review.
In response, I crave permission to liberate my soul
on the matter, (i) It is possible that hag in the old
Scottish tongue meant "wood" or "trees," and
that the old family name of the Bemersyde family,
" Haga," was pronounced with a corresponding
vowel sound. The word haig, however, did not
signify " wood " or " trees," but was applied to a
woman — a gadabout female — running from place to
place to tell tales of her neighbours. (2) It is certain
that for many generations — almost from the days of
true Thomas himself — the couplet attributed to him
has been understood to mean persons. " Haigs of
Bemersyde," or "Haigs in Bemersyde" (as Chambers
has it), is doubtless the correct form — not "Haigs on
Bemersyde" (as "T. D. W." attempts to amend it).
(3) If Haigs (whose name was pronounced "Hags")
were in Bemersyde in the Rhymer's time and long
before it, and if the word hag bore at that period
the meaning assigned to it by " T. D. W.," it stands
to reason that Thomas the Rhymer, a learned man
and a scholarly, was quite aware of the received
signification, and penned his couplet (we assume
that he did pen it) with the ambiguous sense of the
word clearly before his mind. "T. D. W." seems
scarcely sufficiently alive to the difficulties surround-
ing a " seer's" position among his own people. He
objects to the word " Haigs" meaning persons, but
appears quite content to tie it down to mean trees,
\Vhy tie it down either to persons or trees ? Give
the " seer " as much rope as he needs. Why insist
that Thomas had distinctly in view the full meaning
of his couplet when he penned it ? This would be
asking more from him than is even required of the
prophets of Scripture, many of whose predictions
are supposed to have a double fulfilment, not always
fully present to the prophet's mind. Thomas the
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
47
Rhymer was, no doubt, a man of great natural
shrewdness and sagacity, whose insight enabled him
intellectually to perceive the elements of permanence
and durability discernible in the Haig family charac-
ter, and whose common sense led him to observe
the unlikelihood of trees ever disappearing altogether
from the policies of Bemersyde. The double mean-
ing of the word '*Haig" {persons or trees) afforded
the very kind of chance in which the mind of a
"seer" delighted to revel. It gave him his oppor-
tunity. It enabled him to have two strings to his
bow. If the prediction or sagacious utterance or
whatever we like to call it failed as regards persons^
it might still hold good as regards trees. Nowadays
we do not credit the "seer" of secular history with
any supernatural power of divination. All that is
claimed for him is a capacity to read the signs of
the times, together with the abilit-y to express himself
in words capable of bearing a double meaning, or to
construct sentences susceptible of interpretation in
opposite ways. The recipe for the making of a
secular "seer" is really quite simple. Given a ruler
of adventurous disposition, reckless, foolhardy, fond
of rushing into danger, and what is to hinder the
" seer " predicting a day of mourning and lamenta-
tion lor the ruler's country ? Many of the vaticina-
tions of ancient classical times depended to a large
extent on the ambiguous nature of the utterance.
The response of the oracle in the case of Pyrrbus
was equally fitted to satisfy him or his enemies, the
Romans. Even Scripture itself is understood in
one instance to chronicle a prophetic utterance that
is palpably ambiguous. Why not, then, allow Thomas
the Rhymer his due meed of praise for shrewd fore-
sight whether we read "persons" or "trees" into
his couplet ? W. S.
748. William Mackay (2nd S., VIII., 13). —
Two authors of this name are mentioned in AUibone's
" Dictionary." One of these, who wrote " Narrative
of the Shipwreck of the Ship Juno," was the son of
a north country minister, but died, I think, in 1804,
and cannot be the Mackay wanted. The other, the
author of " Tales of a Traveller at Home and
Abroad," published in 1851, may have been the
same as the writer of the poem on " Heaven."
Whether he was " the real Mackay '* I cannot say,
but assuming "poet" and " traveller" to have been
the same person, I incline to believe him the son of
Lieut. -Colonel William Mackay of the 68th Regi-
ment, whose wife, also a Mackay, was a hymn-
writer and authoress of several popular religious
stories. S.
749. HuTTON, Hepburn, Lidderdale (2nd S.,
VIII., 13, 31). — I am much obliged to "Amateur"
for the reply re Hutton, Hepburn, Lidderdale. My
ancestors, Hutton of Hutton Hall, Cumberland, are
not extinct in the younger generation. My eldest
brother, Colonel Thomas Bruce Hutton, is now the
head. I am told the Fullertons may come from
Dudwich, and the Urquharts probably from Bards-
yard in Morayshire. E. C. Wienholt.
754. Lawrances in Usan (2nd S.,VIII., 13). —
On the faith of two directories dated respectively
1852 and 1873, it may be asserted with some con-
fidence that the name Lawrance has now become
extinct in Usan. S.
755. What is a "Tap" or "Tapion"? (2nd
S., VIII., 13). — I take it to have been the small
round ball of coloured yarn, attached to the upper
part of the harness, dangling over the horse's head,
and presumably intended to prevent flies settling
upon and annoying the animal. Is the"tapion"
now in use ? The word does not occur apparently
in any dictionary. S.
756. Curious Figures on a Tombstone (2nd
S., VIII., 14). — If I rightly apprehend Dr. Milne's
description, the figures he describes appear to be
intended for the Christian symbols of Life, Death,
and Immortality. The mushroom-shaped growth
proceeding from the ear of the skull may perhaps
represent some kind of grain — "it may chance of
wheat, or of some other grain." Although con-
siderably earlier than the period of the tombstone,
might not Allen's ." Christian Symbolism in Britain
before the 13th Century" help Dr. Milne to some of
the information he is in search of? Clericus.
757. Barbara Gordon (Mrs. Farquhar) (2nd
S., VIII., 14). — In all likelihood she was connected
with the Gordons of TomnavoUan, a family from
which the Rev. J. F. S. Gordon, author of "Scoti-
chronicon " and other works, was descended.
W.
758. Buchanan Hospital (2nd S.,Vni., 14). —
The Buchanan Cottage Hospital, St. Leonards,
Sussex, was established in 1881. The only notable
Buchanan I am able to connect with the county was
Robert Buchanan, Socialist lecturer and editor,
father of the " Poet of Revolt," who died at Bexhill,
Sussex, in 1866. S.
761. Adam Donald (2nd S., VII I., 28). — In reply
to "Alba," who thinks Adam Donald lived from
1820 to 1832, and asks for the date of his death, I
have it before me— "The Life and History of Doctor
Adam Donald, Prophet of Bethelnie. Peterhead:
Peter Buchan, 1817." The pamphlet ends with the
following sentence: "This strange character, who
caused so much speculation in his time, was born at
Bethelnie in the year 1703, and died in the year
1780." W. L. T.
Peterhead.
764. George Blair, M.A. (2nd S., VIII., 29). —
In " Report of the Presbyterian Church of Canada,
1866," p. 164 (Alphabetical List of Ministers and
Licentiates, 1765 to 1867), Mr. Blair is stated to
have been a native of Scotland, educated at St.
Andrews, sent to Canada from the Church of Scot-
lund, ordained in 1843, and made Superintendent of
Schools. But there is no mention of him in the
48
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES [September, 1906
body of the report, and in the list he is only called
"licentiate.-' James Gammack, LL.D.
765. Moses Provan (2nd SoVIUmSq). — Moses
Provan died in 1871. *'Alba" should see "The
Glasgow Athenaeum : a Sketch of Fifty Years' Work,
1 847 -1 897," by James Lauder, F.R.S.L. Glasgow:
St. Mungo Press, Limited. 1897.
Evan Odd.
After painfully examining a number of local his-
tories, registers of testaments, and sundry other
documents of a like description, I am driven to con-
clude either that Glasgow is astoundingly ignorant
of its greatest men or that "Alba" is poking fun at
the Western metropolis. The only person I have
been able to discover answering to the name in the
query is Moses Provan, a baker in Glasgow, whose
will, dated August 27, 1762, probably indicates the
proximate period of his decease. Neither the pro-
fession, however, which no doubt he adorned, nor
even the drafting of his own will (if he did that)
would entitle him to be called " a prominent literary
man." I am at a loss too to understand what
"Alba" means by the " Glasgow Athenaeum " which
Moses Provan is said to have founded. Is it the
institution of that name now in Buchanan Street, or
a publication called The Atheneeum issued by Glas-
gow students in 1830? On neither supposition,
however, can Moses Provan be made to fit in. The
Glasgow Athenaeum, so the local histories tell one,
was instituted in 1847 under the municipal sway of
Lord Provost Hastie, and Charles Dickens was
brought down to preside at the first of its soirees in
the City Hall. No such person as Moses Provan
(as far as one's eyesight may testify) emerges from
amid the welter of names, more or less illustrious,
present on that occasion. On the other supposition,
while the publication called The Athetiaum was
ostensibly conducted by students whose names, of
course, are forgotten, it was really managed and
largely contributed to by Thomas Atkinson, a Glas-
gow bookseller, of whom a critic (Henry Glassford
Bell, to wit) declared that he " never had been and
never would be a student." In order that St.
Mungo's city may no longer incur the reproach of
an ungrateful memory, would "Alba" condescend
to explain when Moses Provan lived, and what
writings of his made him prominent ?
Chappie.
766. Neil McAlpine (2nd S., VIII., 29).— The
first edition of McAlpine's " Pronouncing Gaelic
Dictionary," published in 1832, bears on the title-
page to be the work of "Niel [sic] McAlpine, Student
in Divinity, Island of Islay, Argyllshire." The
edition was published in Edinburgh, printed for the
author, and " sold by all the Booksellers in the
Kingdom and on the Continent; also by all the
Schoolmasters in the Highlands.'* A MS. note on
the copy I have seen states that McAlpine was a
schoolmaster in Islay and an authority on the
Gaelic language as spoken in that island. It may
reasonably be inferred that he was a native of
Argyllshire, and that he aspired to be a minister,
probably in connection with the Church of Scotland.
His ambition does not appear to have been realised.
Probably he lived and died a schoolmaster. His
"Dictionary" proved to be extremely popular.
Besides the one for 1832 above noted, various other
editions are mentioned, of which the 7th was issued
in 1878, while the last came out in 18S1.
S.
767. Bernardus Paludanus (2nd S.,VIII., 29).
— Bernardus Paludanus or Ten Broeke, a Dutch
traveller and physician, said also to have been a
professor of philosophy at Leyden, was born in 1550
and died in 1633. He wrote valuable notes on
Linschot's " Voyages Maritimes." W. S.
768. James Murdoch, Author (2nd S.,VIII.,
29). — I can add but little to the information fur-
nished by Mr. Robert Murdoch regarding this writer.
In Weuckstern's "Bibliography of Japan," three pub-
lications are entered to the credit of "J. Murdoch,"
presumably the "James Murdoch" of the query —
(i) " Report on the Religious Tract Society in
Japan," by J. Murdoch, Glasgow, 1882, 8vo, pp. 11 ;
(2) "Ogawa's Scenes and Sights of the Tokiado,"
21 plates, with text by J. Murdoch; (3) "Burton's
Scenes from Open-air Life in Japan," 14 phototypes
executed by K. Ogawa, with text by J. Murdoch,
Yokohama, 1893, oblong folio, pp. 18.
W.
Scots JBoolis of tbe /IDontb*
Anwyl, Edward, M.A. Celtic Religion in Pre-
Christian Times. F'cap 8vo. Net, is.
Constable.
Elliot, Lieut. -Col. The Hon. FItzwilliatn.
The Trustworthiness of Border Ballads. Crown
4to. Net, I OS. 6d. Blackwood.
Qoodrich- Freer, A. Outer Isles. Illustrated
by Allan Barnard. Demy 8vo. Net, 5s.
Constable.
Stevenson, J. H. The Ruthven of Freeland
Peerage and its Critics. F'cap 4to. Net, 5s.
Maclehose, Glasgow.
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SCOTTISH
NOTES AND QUERIES.
VOL. VIII. -| ISIn >i
October, 1906.
KsaiSTERBD
{
Price 3d.
PxR Post 4d.
CONTENTS.
Notes :— Page
ProfeMor John Stewart and his Papil William Grant 49
Forf arabire at a Factor in Scottish Life and Thought 50
Aberdeen- American Graduates 55
The Cant Family 58
Some of Dr. John Leyden's Inedited Poemi 60
MnroK Notes :—
Woods of Bonningrton— The Forbes Family—The
Harder of Two Sons of Gordon of Ellon 53
Gilbert Blackhall, S.J.— The Andersons of Mudhouse
— StUl Eoom 54
Brodie and Hoare Families— Two Aberfoyle Epitaphs 57
Brodie, Hichie, and Gauld Families 59
Folk-Lore of Baptism— Place-Names, Dialects, and
Folk-Lore of the North of Scotland 61
B. Mary's Chapel, Aberdeen 62
Queries :—
Origin of Names "Beinn lutham Mhor"and "Beag"
— John Helton— Priest Gordon— The Name McKel-
vie— Burke's " Landed Gentry" 62
ASSWKRS: —
An Old Seal of Aberdeen 62
The Haigs of Bemersyde — Sir Hugh Halcrow— Grace
before Meat — Adam Donald— James Clyde, LL.D. 63
Glasgow Book— George Blair, M.A.— Moses Provan—
A. J. Warden 64
Soots Books op the Month 64
ABERDEEN, OCTOBER, igo6.
PROFESSOR JOHN STEWART AND
HIS PUPIL WILLIAM GRANT.
The following copy letter may be of some
interest. Tammore's only son, William, to
whom it refers, had a somewhat chequered
career, but at his death held the lucrative ap-
pointment of Collector of Customs at St. Lucia,
conferred on him by General Grant of Ballin-
dalloch on the conquest of that island by the
latter in 1 779 : —
Sir
This goes w**» your Son, who hath attended
my Class for the Elem" of Geometry and Tri-
gonom^, and likewise my private Class for the
pratical Parts of Mathem^^: which he hath done
to my great Satisfaction : for I scarce ever have
had any under my Care w^such a Genius for that
Study : and I think he has improven his Time to
very good account: and hath behaved himself
decently and regularly in every Respect, so that
I hope he shall be a Comfort to you and all his
Concerns — As he has a very good Turn for
Mathem* I suppose You will think it proper to
continue to prosecute his Studys in that way (q<^i>
he much inclines himself) in q*^^ case I wou'd begg
You'll allow him to come up as soon as possible
next Session of College : and so much the rather
that the Faculty of the College have entered into
a Resolution to oblige all our Bursars, under pain
of Deprivation, to be here agt the io**» of Nov',
that the teaching Masters may then fall to their
Business: which We find necessary in order to
make Academical Education more beaeHcial to
our Students : so that it's expected Gentlemen
will take care their Sons be sent in at least as
soon as they would regard their Children's Advan-
tage in their Education.
I received 5o»^» from your Son ; and am oblidg'd
to You for your good paym^ I shall take all the
Pains upon him I can ; and so much the rather as
I am pretty sure I shall have Satisfaction and
Credit by him. I heartily wish him all Success
in this and all his other Studys : and am w^^ true
Respect
Sir Your most obliged humble Servant
John Stewart
Aberdeen Aprile iS*** 1745
Endorsed :
To
Robert Grant
of
Tammore
Tammore married Margaret, daughter of
George Gumming of Recletich, another daugh-
ter, Janet, having married Alexander Gordon in
Craigwillie. Tammore's son, William, is very
frequently mentioned in the M SS. " William
Grant younger of Tammoir" is mentioned in
the Boharm Parochial Registers as one of the
witnesses at the baptism of William, son of
William McWilliam and Jean Cuming in
Wester Galdwall. This circumstance (assuming
that the witness was Tammore's son) may in-
dicate a connection between Tammore's wife
and the goodwife of Wester Galdwall, the latter
having belonged to the Lochtervandich familv.
H. D. McW/
so
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[October, 1906
FORFARSHIRE AS A FACTOR IN
SCOTTISH LIFE AND THOUGHT.
(2nd S., VIII., pp. 17, 4t.)
It thus appears that, thoujjh my figures largely
exceed those of Mr. Edwards, the result reached
is almost identical with his. Indeed, the only
difference is that, while Perth occupies the
seventh place on Mr. Edwards's list, it stands
sixth on mine, and I give the seventh place to
Fife and not to Perth.
I may, however, be asked here : Has the
addition which the last twenty years have made
to the number of poetical names connected with
all the Scottish counties not affected the relative
position of these counties to each other ? My
reply to that question is : Scarcely at all. True,
Forfar is now second on my list with 259 names,
while Edinburgh has receded to the third place
with only 226. But this remarkable improve-
ment in Forfar's position arises, I suspect, from
the fact that recently I have had the opportunity
of ransacking for fresh names Mr. Stuart Reid's
comprehensive and carefully compiled antho-
logy, " The Bards of Angus and the M earns,"
a work which is a particularly good example of
what a county anthology should be. Taking
that fact into consideration, I believe that in the
near future, when my information regarding the
poets of Midlothian approximates in complete-
ness to my present knowledge of the bards of
Angus, the metropolitan county will easily
regain its former place. Meanwhile it is only
fair to say that, as at present informed, the
seven premier Scottish counties, considered
from the point of view of the number of poetical
names that they can claim, stand thus : —
1. Lanark with 262 names.
2. Forfar with 259 names.
3. Edinburgh with 226 names.
4. Aberdeen with 212 names.
5. Ayr with 1 59 names.
6. Perth with 147 names.
7. Fife with 136 names.
It is perhaps worth noticing here that these
seven counties are the very counties which, as
I have shown in an earlier part of this essay,
occupy the premier position among the other
Scottish shires for fertility in notable names of
all kinds. But suggestive as that fact is, there
is a conclusion I draw from the comparatively
backward place occupied on my lists by the
peculiarly Celtic districts of Scotland, which
seems to me more noteworthy still. For, con-
trary to the common idea that the Celtic genius
is more susceptible to poetic and artistic in-
fluences than is the Teutonic or Saxon, my
statistics seem to point to the opposite con-
clusion. Thus I cannot think it wholly without
significance that, with the exception of a small
part of Perthshire and perhaps also of Aber-
deenshire, not one of the seven premier Scottish
counties is now Celtic— at least in speech,
whatever may be true of the racial character-
istics of theii" inhabitants — while the view
which a fact of this sort suggests must, I think,
be strongly confirmed by the following vidimus
of the respective places taken by each of the
remaining Scottish counties, when viewed re-
latively to their individual contributions to the
grand total of Scotland's poets. I place the
twenty-five names in tabular form to make the
lesson they teach more impressive, for I think
it is impossible for any one to cast an eye over
the results I exhibit without recognising that,
if my figures are trustworthy, they prove that
the Celtic Scottish shires come far behind the
Saxon shires alike in addiction to and success
in the poet's craft. The following table speaks
for itself. It begins with the eighth Scottish
county in succession to the seven premier
counties already enumerated, and reads thus : —
8. Renfrew with 113 names.
9. Roxburgh with 95 names,
la Berwick with 80 names.
11. Dumfries with 76 names.
12. Argyll with 66 names.
13. Stirling with 51 names.
14. Inverness with 49 names.
1 5. Dumbarton with 46 names.
16. Kincardine with 44 names.
17. Kirkcudbright with 43 names.
18. Clackmannan with 39 names.
19. Haddington with 35 names.
20. Banff with 34 names.
21. Peebles with 33 names.
22. Selkirk with 28 names.
23. Linlithgow with 28 names.
24. Ross with 27 names.
25. Orkney and Shetland with 23 names.
26. Elgin with 16 names.
27. Wigton with 1 1 names.
28. Sutherland with 10 names.
29. Caithness with 8 names.
30. Kinross with 6 names.
31. Bute and Arran with 5 names.
32. Nairn with 2 names.
Now, if the facts which I have here presented
mean anything — and they were certamly com-
piled without any bias or partiality to one
theory rather than another — they . seem to
suggest that it is not where the Celtic blood is
Vol VHI. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
SI
purest, but where it is most mixed with Saxon,
Danish, and other foreign elements, that the
taste and the talent for poetry are most widely
diffused. And this is all the more remarkable
because the purely Celtic population inhabits
exactly those parts of the country which, from
the beauty and sublimity of the scenery, seem
most calculated to stir the Muse's fire, and to
nurture a poetic soul ; for, with the exception of
Perthshire, which is not, moreover, a purely
Celtic county, there is not a single Highland
county which has produced a respectable list of
poets ; and when, on an analysis of the 147
Perthshire poets on my lists, no fewer than 104
bear the Saxon patronymics of Adamson,
Anderson, Brown, Beattie, Hogg, Sharpe,
Taylor, Webster, Gray, Reid, Sand, etc., and
only 43 bear the Celtic patronymics of Campbell,
Fraser, Buchanan, Grant, Maclaggan, MacDuff,
etc, one begins to suspect that it is due to its
Teutonic population more than to its Celtic that
Perthshire stands so well among its sister
counties as a producer of poetic genius.
Returning, however, from these speculative
regions, in which it must be confessed one's
footing is not too secure, and directing our
attention for the moment to the poetic output
of Forfarshire alone, I fear I must admit that
here I am rather in a difficulty. For, with a
population so prone to rhyming as is the case
with the natives of this shire, one would naturally
have expected that some, at least, of the more
important Scottish poets would have been of
Angus birth. But this unfortunately is not the
case. It is true that Forfarshire presents a
doubtful claim to have given birth to Gawain
Douglas, the translator of Virgil and one of the
best of our early Scottish poets, as well as to
Alexander Scott, the so-called " Scottish Ana-
creon." It is also true that Thomas Hood, who
sang the " Song of the Shirt " and wrote many
other fine lyrics, was of Forfarshire extraction,
and in early youth lived in Dundee, though he
was born in London ; and that, greatest of all,
the English poet, Robert Browning, had at least
this connection with Forfarshire, that his mother
was born and bred in Dundee. Nevertheless I
must frankly acknowledge that, of the 259 poetic
names that appear on my lists, few have attained
more than local celebrity, though Alexander
Laing of Brechin, the Leightons of Dundee,
Professor John Nicoll of Glasgow University,
and some others, have produced songs and
lyrics that are deservedly popular. On the
whole, however, notwithstancling the number of
the sons of Angus that have plied the Muse's
trade, it is not by her poetry that Forfarshire
has most deeply and permanently influenced
either the spiritual or social development of
Scotland.
On the other hand, the artists of this county,
though comparatively few numerically — my lists
contain only 28 names — reckon among their
number prominent representatives of the graphic
art like William Aikman of Cairnie, the friend
of Thomson the poet, and one of the earliest of
Scottish artists to win recognition in England.
To his respectable name must be added those
of Colvin Smith and the Simsons of Dundee,
as well as that of George Paul Chalmers of
Arbroath, a painter who is admittedly one of
the greatest of Scottish colourists.
In music, also, Forfarshire, while by no
means backward, can boast of few names of
more than local celebrity. I have the names of
a goodly number of violinists and of one great
vocalist, Helen Jolly Mitchell, known as Madame
Melba, who is a native of Broughty Ferry. I
have also the names of a few musical composers,
including that of James Smeaton, as well as
that of James Love, organist, Falkirk, who has
biographed most of our Scottish writers of psalm
tunes ; but it cannot be claimed for Forfarshire
that any of our greatest Scottish musicians have
emanated from its borders.
Singular to say, it is quite otherwise with the
histrionic art. For, though I have very few
actors on my lists, one of them was the great
American tragedian, Edwin Forrest, a player
who, though a native of Montrose, occupied a
position on the American stage very similar to
that once held by Garrick, Keen, Macready, or
Irving on our own.
The philosophical writers of this county, I
observe next, are also comparatively few. Inas-
much, however, as James Mill is one of them,
the great thinker who was the founder of the
English school of Philosophic Radicals, and as
the influence of that school, through the writings
of his greater son, John Stuart M ill, at one time
dominated the thought of the chief English
universities, and as that influence, though much
abated, is yet by no means wholly lost, it cannot
be denied that in that direction the impact of
Forfarshire on both Scottish and English
development has been powerfully felt, and has
produced very notable results, some of them not
entirely evil. It is true that the sensational
philosophy of the two Mills, with its tendency
to materialism and scepticism, has never been
the popular philosophy of the Scottish people,
and that, since the death of Dr. Bain, it has
had absolutely no representative among the
philosophical teachers of our land. Neverthe-
less, by the reaction provoked as a consequence
of its remorseless analysis of all thought and
52
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[October, 1906
feeling and association, it has done not a little
to produce the spiritual philosophy which , as
represented by the Seths, Hutchison Stirling,
Jones, and Adamson, now reigns in all our
universities.
It is a noteworthy fact, as evincing the practi-
cal tendency of the idealising mind of the natives
of Angus, that natural history and science have
had more attractions for them than speculative
philosophy. My tables contain the names of
no fewer than 53 persons who have gained
distinction in such pursuits. Many of these
savants of course are comparatively undis-
tinguished, but some of them are unquestionably
illustrious, as will be readily acknowledged when
I mention that among them stand the names of
(i) the famous geologist. Sir Charles Lyell, an
author whose great work, "The Principles of
Geology," may be ranked next after Darwin's
"Origm of Species" among the books which
have exercised the most powerful influence in
the direction of scientific thought in the 19th
century. For that work eflfectually broke down
the belief in the necessity of stupendous con-
vulsions in past times, and taught, as had long
before been maintained by Hutton and Play-
fair — the latter author by the way, I may re-
mark, being also a native of Angus — that the
greatest geological changes may be produced
by the forces still at work on the earth. (2)
Alongside of Sir Charles Lyell I would place
the name of Robert Brown, the eminent botanist,
a man of European reputation, and whose
many and valuable contributions to his favourite
science secured for universal approval the title
conferred on him by Alex. Von Humboldt of
"facile princeps botanicorum." It is interesting
to know that in George Robert Milne Murray,
F.R.S., the present Keeper of the Botanical
Department of the British Museum, the reputa-
tion of Forfarshire in this branch of science is
still being well maintained. Had I space, I
could easily add here many other names scarcely
less distinguished than those already mentioned,
and adorning well nigh every natural science ;
but I forbear, and close my notice of the great
part the men of Angus have taken in this in-
teresting field of research and discovery by refer-
ring to a humble and obscure Dundee teacher,
J. B. Lindsay by name, who, though little heard
of either in his own day or since, deserves to be
commemorated as a singularly fniitful and
suggestive pioneer of scientific thought. For I
believe it was he who, some fifty years ago,
discovered and practically demonstrated the
possibility of that wireless telegraphy which is
creating so much interest in our own day, and
which seems to have a great future before it.
It is not, however, in pure science that the
men of Forfarshire have been most conspicuous.
It is rather in the varied walks of prose literature,
including journalism. Here, out of 173 names
which my tables contain, not a few are names
of first-rate importance. I cannot, of course,
attempt to characterise many out of that long
list. But, in addition to the two Mills and
Thomas Hood already named, and to Lyell the
geologist, and Barrie the novelist, also previously
mentioned, I may rehearse here the names of
Hector Boece, an early and quaintly interesting
Scottish historian ; Henry Guthrie, too, the
biographer of Montrose; William Maitland and
William Guthrie, two creditable historians and
miscellaneous writers of the i8th century, as
well as Patrick Abercrombie, whose "Martial
Achievements of the Scottish Nation" is a
permanent memorial of Scottish patriotism ; and
John Gillies, the historian of Greece, not for-
getting Professor Nichol, the astronomer, Robert
Stephen Rintoul, the founder and editor of the
Spectator newspaper, and Charles Lowe, the
biographer of Bismarck, and long Berlin cor-
respondent for the London Tunes.
I might easily add greatly to the above list,
but must hasten on to notice the divines, re-
formers, evangelists, missionaries, etc., whom
this county has produced. They number no
fewer than 1 34, belong to all the churches, and
many of them have played a most influential
part in the religious life of the country. This
will appear evident when I mention that my
tables contain the names of no fewer than 15
bishops and other dignitaries of the Romish
Church, and when I further remind you that at
the Reformation period this region furnished a
specially large number of the leaders of that
movement. Among the earliest and most im-
portant of these was the well-known John
Erskine of Dun, one of the disciples of that
great M earns evangelist, George Wishart, who
made his native district of Angus and Meams
the chief scene of his missionary labours. The
late Professor Mitchell, himself by the way an
Angus man, notices the interesting fact in con-
nection with Wishart's work as a religious
teacher that, unlike Patrick Hamilton, who
seemed to aim at a reform within the pale of
his old church, Wishart strove to set up an
entirely new organisation. He formed kirks, or
congregations at least, in Dundee and Montrose,
the latter probably consisting mainly of the
lesser gentry in the adjacent districts of Angus
and Meams, and the former chiefly of the sub-
stantial burghers of the town of Dundee. One
thing which made this task on the part of
Wishart easier than it otherwise would have
Vol. VIII., 2nd Series.] SCOTT/S// NOTES AND QUERIES
53
been, was the fact that he came at a slightly
later period in the history of the Reformation,
and that in the East of Scotland, as a result of
the commercial intercourse it maintained with
the Continent, he found a body of people
already prepared to receive the new faith.
Dundee was then a thriving seaport, and its
busy traders, being brought into constant con-
tact with Continental life and people, could not
miss the contagion of Lutheran doctrines ; and
when we know that some professors in St.
Andrews, and one or two of the greatest abbots
of Cambuskenneth were 'enlightened men, and
sympathised with the humanistic and religious
revival in Europe, it is easy to see how many
around them must have fallen under the spell
of the new doctrines, and how practicable there-
fore it would be for a man of Wishart's energy
to attempt to organise the Protestant forces into
a new spiritual society, though such a policy
was beyond the scope of a pioneer like young
Hamilton. At all events, to whatever cause
the fact is to be attributed, it is certain that
Forfarshire was one of the earliest of the Scottish
counties to be deeply and vitally affected by the
reformed doctrines. By the time, indeed, that
Knox returned to his native land in 1559, Angus
had become practically the stronghold of the
Scottish reformers, and it was doubtless for that
reason that in 1559 Knox, immediately after
landing in Scotland, proceeded north to Dundee,
where, indeed, the zealous Protestants of Fife,
Angus, and Mearns had already assembled,
determined to make common cause with their
preachers, and to go forward in peaceful form
to Stirling, in order that the Queen and her
council might be in no doubt as to the position
which they meant to occupy alike to her and
their spiritual teachers.
W. B. R. W.
To be continued.
Woods of Bonnington (ist S., XII., 72,
86; 2nd S., IV., 150). — Additional information
may be gleaned from Alexander J. Warden's
"Angus or Forfarshire, the Land and People :
Descriptive and Historical," Vol. HI., at pages
3«, 39, 160, 234, 246, 248, 431, 434, 435, 438.
The Woods of Craig, Drums, Hilton, and
Keithick are also mentioned in the same volume.
This work bears the imprint " Dundee : Charles
Alexander & Co., mdccclxxxii." Mr. Warden
was a F.S.A. Scot., and author of "The Linen
Trade," and "The Burgh Laws of Dundee,''
which were very favourably received by the
press at the date of publication.
Robert Murdoch.
The Forbes Family.— The following notes
on the Auchernach family may be useful to
Forbes genealogists. Gordon Forbes Nathaniel
Forbes of Auchernach married his first-cousin
Isobel, daughter of John Stewart of Drummin,
and had ten sons, including General Gordon
Forbes. The general's military career was as
follows : —
Capt., 34th Regt., Apr. 12, 1764 (Army Rank,
Oct. 7, 1762); Maj., gth, July 22, 1777 {London
Gazette) ; Lt.-Col, 102nd, Sept. 25, 1781 {London
Gazette); Col., local rank, £. Indies, June 13,
1782 ; placed on h.p., 102nd, 1785-6 (Army Lists,
1782-5); Lt.-Col., 74th, Oct. 12, 1787-9 {London
Gazette, p. 485); Bt.-Col., Nov. 18, 1790; Col.,
105th, Sept. 30, 1794-5 {London Gazette, p. 986 ;
Army Lists, 1794-5); Maj. -Gen., Oct. 4, 1794
{London Gazette, p. loii); Col., 50th, Jan. 28,
1797 {London Gazette, p. 75) ; Col, 29th, Aug. 8,
1797 ; Lt.-Gen., Jan. i, 1800 {London Gazette, p.
37); Gen., Dec. 30, 181 1 {London Gazette, p.
2498; Army Lists, 1762-1828). His name ap-
pears in 1828 in list of generals, but not holding
appointment as colonel, 29th. His name does
not appear in the list for 1829. He raised the
74th Highlanders, who origfinally wore Forbes
tartan when they paraded, 800 strong, in Madras,
in full Highland garb. Gen. Gordon Forbes mar-
ried, in 1770, Margaret Sullivan, and had, among
other sons, Rev. Granville Hamilton, rector of
Broughton, Northampton, who married, on July
25, 1849, Georgina Augusta, youngest daughter of
6th Marquis of Lothian, and had
Henry Francis Gordon-Forbes (Jan. 2, 1850-
1903). He entered the Rifle Brigade as ensign,
July 30, 1870; Lt., Oct. 28, 1871; Capt, Julyi5,
1880; Maj., Dec. 3, 1884; Lt.-Col., Dec. 6,
1893 ; placed on h.p.; Maj., Reserve of Officers,
Dec. 6, 1893. He served in the Afghan War in
1878-9 with the Peshawur Valley Field Force.
He was present at the attack and capture of Ali
Musjeid, and took part in the Bazar Valley and
Lergman Expeditions. He also served with the
Burmese Expedition in 1886-7. He died at Villa
Theodore, Cannes, Mar. 16, 1903, aged 52 {Times^
Mar. 19, 1903, p. 8, col. 3 ; Official Army Lists,
1 880- 1 903).
C. O. Skelton.
The Murder of Two Sons of Gordon
OF Ellon. — Two boys, the sons of Mr. Gordon
of Ellon, were murdered on April 28, 171 7, by
their tutor, Robert Irvine, in revenge for their
having blabbed some moral indiscretion on his
part which they had witnessed. This took place
m a part of Edinburgh then unoccupied, and,
being in sight of the Castlehill, was seen by
persons walking there. The murderer was taken
red-handed, and put on trial before the Barony
Court of Broughton, when, being convicted by a
jury, he was sentenced to be hanged next day
54
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[October, 1906
at Greenside, having his hands 6rst struck off.
The sentence was carried into execution on May
I, in accordance with the usage of executing
condemned criminals within three days of con-
viction. The body was thrown into a quarry-
hole near the place of the murder. The pro-
ceedings are related in the Edinburgh Courant
of the time. The Barony of Broughton was a
lordship formed, in 1587, for Lord Justice Clerk
Sir Lewis Bellenden, out of a part of the Abbacy
of Holyrood annexed to the Crown at the Re-
formation ia 1560. The Heritable Jurisdiction
Abolition Act, 1747, took away from Barony
Courts the power of life and death.
John Milne, LL.D.
Gilbert Blackhall, S.J. — In my note on
the Scotch Church at Erfurt, I post-dated the
death of this zealous Aberdeenshire priest in
1676. He died in the Scotch College, Paris, on
1st July, #671. Father Blackhall "shepherded"
Patrick Gordon to the Jesuits' College at
Brauensberg in 1652, when the future general
and trusted friend of Peter the Great, Czar of
Russia, was only a youth sixteen years of age.
He is best known by the Spalding Club pub-
lication of 1844 : "A BreifTc Narratioun of the
Services done to Three Noble Ladyes," by
Gilbert Blackhall, priest of the Scots Mission in
France, the Low Countries, and Scotland in
1631-49. The ladies were Isabel Hay, daughter
of the Earl of Erroll ; Sophia, the Countess of
Aboyne; and Madame de Gordon. They treated
him shabbily. He wrote his account in 1667.
He gives a most graphic description of his
escapes and adventures, written with all the
minuteness of detail characteristic of Defoe
later on. Evidently he was a brave and resolute
ecclesiastic, and it is to be hoped that the closing
scene of his, career passed tranquilly in Paris,
although remote from the waters of his beloved
Dee. Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
The Andersons of Mudhouse.— The fol-
lowing items relating to this family occur in a
lot of old accounts belonging to the family of
Petrie-Hay, Keith, which the Rev. Stephen Ree
has just examined : —
1584, Aug. I.— Charter by which Blair Alves, with
consent of his spouse, Marjorie Anderson, sells
to John Maver, portioner of Urquhart, a kiln
and rood of land on the south side of the city of
Elgin: at Elgin, Aug. i, 1584.
1612, Oct. 26,— -Charter by which the Town Coun-
cil of Elgin sells to Grissel Urwell, relict of
James Anderson, merchant burgess of Elgin,
and now spouse of James Douglas, merchant
burgess there, and to William Anderson, her
son, two portions of land on the south side of
the Grammar School of Elgin : at Elgin, Octo-
ber 26, 1612.
1616, Sept. 3. — Sasine to David Murray in lands
of Drumnaquhirrich on charter by Robert Innes
of Balvenie, at Balvenie, August 8, 1616: wit-
nesses to sasine — James Leslie of Drumnaquhir-
rich, John Lesly of Aberlour, Alex. Leslie in
Bochrome.
1649, March 13. — Disposition by which Wm. Mur-
ray, portioner of Drumquhirrich, sells to John
Leslie in Bochrome lands of Drumquhirrich : at
Morthelik, March 13, 1649, before these wit-
nesses — Adame Gordone of Abirlor, etc.
1660, May 7. — Assignation by Agnes Anderson,
lawful daughter of the deceased Mr. Robert
Anderson, "doctor of phisik," to John Ander-
son, her brother, of all her rights in her father's
estate: written by John Lesly of Mudhouse,
and signed at , May 7th, 1660.
1698, July 14. — Intimation made "in the publtck
marcatt of Bolvenie, holden at Lackie, in the
audience of the wholl people," that, by virtue of
a decree of the Sheriff of Banff, John Anderson
of Mudhouse had arrested all the goods and
gear of Wm. Stewart in Drumquhyrich, and
also the following sums due to said Wm. Stew-
art — viz., ;f 100 by John and Pat. Lesly of Park-
l^cg ; ;f 40 by Alex. Lesly in Bochrome ; £"40
by James Anderson of Wastertoune ; ;fio by
Wm. Innes in Ardbroden ; and 4 boll 14 pecks
victual due by Thomas Dunbar in Collergreen.
Still Room (2nd S., VIII., 45).— Is Dr.
Milne correct in his definition of a still room?
I do not profess to be an authority on the subject,
but my wife informs me that, in the Lothians at
least, the term is used to describe the room in
which the linen, table accessories, etc., are kept.
I have consulted several dictionaries, the " En-
cyclopaedia Britannica," and the new " Harms-
worth Encyclopaedia," which is nothing if not up
to date, but in none of these do I find the term.
Dr. Murra/s "New English Dictionary" has
not yet got so far as the letter 5. The only re-
ference to a still room which I can at present
call to memory is in the old English song "Simon
the Cellarer,"
Dame Margery sits in her own still room.
And a matron sage is she,
which would seem to imply that her duties were
more sedentary than active. Who is Dr. Milne's
authority for the definition he gives ? It is a
matter of some interest: especially, as seems pro-
bable, the term may have different signification
in different parts of the countr>'.
I Summerbank, W. Saunders.
Edinburgh.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
55
ABERDEEN-AMERICAN GRADUATES.
fUt S., /., 1S7; K, i, 18$, lU; VII., IJ^ 5J^ 76,
141, 175; VIII., 127; IX., 15; X., 93, 170;
XI., 173; XII., 66, 94, 127. m, 159; 2nd S.,
/., 7, 31, 47, 59, 64, 95, 127, 155, 169; II., 10,
24, GO, 77, 125, 138, 171, 186; III., 154, 170;
IV., 22,91; v., 92, 120.)
134. Rev. Daniel Allan, native of Ross-
shire, entered King's College 1824, and gradu-
ated 1829 ("Roll of Alumni," pp. 138, 140). He
was ordained and inducted to the charge of
Stratford and Woodstock, Ontario, 21st Nov.,
1838, but in 1844 he seceded. (" Report of the
Presb. Church of Canada, 1866," pp. 18, 125.)
135. Rev. James Anderson, son of James
Anderson, farmer, Cromarty, took classes at
Marischal College 1825-9, but did not graduate
("Rec. Mar. Coll.," II., 458). He was the first
minister at Ormiston, in the Presbytery of
Montreal, was inducted 14th July, 1835, and died
there 1861, aged 64. ("Report of the Presb.
Church of Canada, 1866," p. 60.)
136. Rev. Daniel Clark, native of Inver-
ness-shire, graduated at Kinj^'s College 1522
(" Grad. King's Coll.," p. 278 ; " Roll of Alumni,"
pp. 127, 129). He was licensed by the Presby-
tery of Inverness, was missionary for a year at
Martintown, in the Presbytery of Glengarry,
Canada, and was inducted at Indian Lands, in
the same Presbytery, Aug. 28, 1839. He seceded
in 1844. ("Report of the Presb. Church of
Canada, 1866," pp. 76, 81.)
137. Rev. Henry Gordon was ordained
in Scotland in 1833, ^^^ became minister of
Newmarket and King, Ontario, in 1834. He
was translated to Gananoque in 1837, and
seceded in 1844. ("Report of the Presb. Church
of Canada, 1866," pp. 44, 45, 167.) He was
eldest son of Thomas Gordon, W.S., Edinburgh,
and himself became Writer to the Signet in
1825. He died unmarried 12th December, 1880.
(J. M. Bulloch : "The House of Gordon," App.
III., p. 221.)
138. Rev. John Barclay, born in the
Manse of Kettle, Fifeshire, was son of Rev.
Peter Barclay, D.D., minister there, who was
son of James Barclay and Elspeth Mitchell, of
Towie Mills, Auchterless (Wimberley : " The
Barclays of Barclay," p. 65). He was the first
pastor of St. Andrew's Church, Kingston,
Ontario. Educated at Edinburgh, he came to
Kingston 1821, and died 26th Sept., 1826, aged
29. (" Report of the Presb. Church of Canada,
1866," pp. 49, 165.)
139. Rev. William Masson, son of the
parish minister of Botriphnie, studied at Maris-
chal College 1847-50 ("Rec. Mar. Coll.," II.,
P- 539)> was licensed by the Presbytery of Elgin,
and went to Canada in 1856. For two years he
served as missionary in the Presbytery of
Hamilton, and then was two years in charge of
St. John's Church, in Hamilton. In i860 he
became minister at Russelltown Flats, Montreal.
(" Report of the Presb. Church of Canada," pp.
55, 168.)
140. Rev. Alexander McKay, Pictou,
Nova Scotia, graduated at King's College in
1848. He was minister at Lochiel, in the
Presbytery of Glengarry, Ont, 1866. ("Report
of the Presb. Church of Canada," pp. 81, 169.)
141. Rev. Alexander McKid, native of ^
Thurso, received his M.A. degree at King's
College 1842 ("Roll of Alumni," pp. 136-8;
" Grad. King's Coll.," p. 295) ; became minister
at By town, now Ottawa, for two years. In 1845
he became minister at Hamilton, and was trans-
lated from that to Goderich in 1848, where, in
1866, he retired from the ministry, f" Report
of the Presb. Church of Canada, 1866," pp. 13,
19, 169.)
142. Rev. George Law, native of Fetter-
esso, was at King's College 1850-5, but does not
appear to have taken his degree (" Roll of
Alumni," pp. 176-7). He was missionary in
Nova Scotia, and in 1865 was inducted at
Chinguaconsy as minister in the end of 1865.
("Report of the Presb. Church of Canada, 1866,"
pp. 41, 168.)
143. Rev. James Mair, son of James Mair,
New Deer ; graduated at Marischal College in
1850; was licensed by the Presbytery of Glasgow
in 1856 ; was settler at Barney's River in Nova
Scotia in 1857 ; and was inducted at Martin-
town, Ontario, in i860. ("Report of the Presb.
Church of Canada, 1866," p. 76, 168.)
144. Rev. Alexander Mann, native of
Aberdeen, graduated at King's College 18 19;
was ordained by the Presbytery of Aberdeen in
1840 ; and in 1841 was inducted into the
ministerial charge of five townships in Ontario,
but finding the work too heavy after ten years'
trial, he finally restricted his labours to Paken-
ham in the Presbytery of Renfrew. (" Report
of the Presb. Church of Canada," pp. 91, 168.)
56
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[October, 1906
145. Rev. John Herald, son of John
Herald in Kirriemuir, was one session at Maris-
chal College 1845-6, and came back for the
M.A. degree in 1853. ("Rec. Mar. Coll.," II.,
53o» 549-) He was sent to Canada by the
Colonial Committee in 1857, and became
minister of Dundas, Ont, where he was about
eighteen years. He died at Meieine Hat, in the
North -West Territory. (" Report of the Presb.
Church of Canada," pp. 9, 167.)
146. Rev. William Maxwell Inglis, a
native of Edinburgh, was licensed by the
Presbytery of Fordyce in 1861 ; was assistant
at New Greyfriars Church, Edinburgh, and
when there was chosen assistant minister of
St. Andrews Church, Montreal ; and then was
inducted as successor to Dr. Machar at Kings-
ton, Ont., in 1863. ("Report of the Presb.
Church of Canada,'' pp. 49, 168.)
147. Rev. John McKenzie graduated at
King's College in 1813 ("Grad. King's Coll.,"
p. 274 ; " Roll of Alumni," p. 119); succeeded
Mr. Bethune as minister at Williamstoun, On-
tario, in 1 81 8; and was chosen Moderator of
the first Presbyterian Synod in Canada. He
was bom at Fort Augustus, and in 1855, aged
65, he died at Williamstoun, his only charge.
("Report of the Presb. Church of Canada, 1866,"
pp. 77i 169.)
148. Rev. Peter McNaughton, said to
have been educated in Aberdeen, but his name
is not on the University lists, came to Canada
under the auspices of the Glasgow Colonial
Society, and was inducted to the charge of
Vaughan, Ontario, in 1833, but returned to
Scotland in 1844, and was minister at Dores.
In 1847 he was re-translated to Vaughan, and
then went to Pickering, but in 1855 he demitted
the charge, and gave up all connection with that
religious body. (" Report of the Presb. Church
of Canada, 1866,'' pp. yj^ 46, 170.)
149. Rev. Thomas McPherson graduated
at King's College 1827 ("Grad. King's Coll.,"
p. 483; "Roll of Alumni," p. 138); went to
Canada 1836, and was first settled at Melbourne,
Qu. ; went to Beechridge, Qu., and in 1843 was
translated to Lancaster, Ont. (" Report of the
Presb. Church of Canada," pp. 78, 170.)
150. Rev. Robert Peden, said to have
been educated at Aberdeen, but not as yet found
upon the University rolls, came from the Seces-
sion body in 1844, and that year was ordained
for Amherstburgh, Ontario, but the same year
le seceded. (" Report of the Presb. Church of
'Canada, 1866,'' p. 170.)
151. Rev. John R annie, of Walls, Shetland,
graduated at King's College 1845 ("Grad. King's
Coll.," p. 297 ; "Roll of Alumni," p. 163) ; was
Murray Lecturer 1854-5 ; minister of New
Amsterdam 1857 ("Grad.," p. 81), and appointed
to Chatham, Ontario, 1859. ("Report of the
Presb. Church of Canada, 1866," pp. 17, 170.)
152. Rev. Alexander Ross, said to have
been educated at Aberdeen, came from Aid-
borough, Ontario, to Woolwich in 1823, where
he was the first minister in charge. In 1846 he
removed to Gwillimburg, and died at Brantford
1857, aged 63. He was much esteemed as an
able and learned man. (" Report of the Presb.
Church of Canada, 1866," pp. 24, 44, 171.) He
probably was the person of that name from
Ross-shire who took the form classes at King's
College 1818-22, but not the degree. ("Roll of
Alumni," p. 129.)
153. Rev. Walter R. Ross took the form
sessions at King's College 1848-52, but ap-
parently not his degree. (" Roll of Alumni,"
p. 173.) He was inducted to Pickering, Ontario,
in 1 861, and was there in 1866. ("Report of
the Presb. Church of Canada, 1866," pp. 37, 171.)
154. Rev. James Ross, archdeacon. New
South Wales, a native of Peterhead, graduated
at King's College 1857, and had D.D. 1893. He
died at Armidale, N.S.W., in 1902. ("Roll of
Alumni," p. 181 ; Scott, Guard. ^ September 26,
1902, p. 600.)
155. Rev. George Smellie, said to have
been educated at Aberdeen, was inducted at
Fergus, Ontario, in 1843, and in the following
year seceded with most of his congregation, and
continued at Fergus as minister of the C.P.
Church. ("Report of the Presb. Church of
Canada, 1866," pp. 25, 171.)
156. Rev. John Smith, from Cromarty, was
second minister at Becknith, Ontario. He was
inducted in 1833, and he died i8th April, 1851.
("Report of the Presb. Church of Canada, 1866,"
pp. 90, T71.)
157. Rev. Alexander Spark, D.D., bom
at Marykirk 1762, took his degree at King's
College 1776, and went to Canada in 1788 as
tutor in Col. Caldwell's family at Belmont, near
Quebec. He was afterwards assistant in an
academy in Quebec. He returned to Scotland,
r
Vol. VIII. and Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
57
and was licensed and ordained by the Presby-
tery of Ellon, returning at once to Quebec. In
1784 he was called to the charge of St Andrews
Presbyterian Church there, where he died in
1819. From King's College, Aberdeen, he
received the D.D. degree 1804. ("Report of
the Presb. Church of Canada, 1866,'' pp. loi,
171 ; "Grad. King's Coll.," PP- io5, 252 ; "Roll
of Alumni,'' p. 90.)
158. Rev. Alexander Spence, D.D., was
inducted to the charge of St. Andrew's Church,
Ottawa, 1 848, but he had been ordained by the
Presbytery of Aberdour 1841 to be the first
Presbyterian minister of St. Vincent, in the
West Indies, where he remained six and a half
years. The University of Queen's College,
Kingston, conferred on him the degree of D.D.
1 864. (" Report of the Presb. Church of Canada,
1866," pp. 97, 171.) He is probably the Alex-
ander Spence of Aberdeen who was a semi in
the class of 1820-4. ("Roll of Alumni," p. 132.)
159. Rev. George Thomson or Thomp-
son was inducted into the double charge of
McNab and Horton in Ontario 185 1, and was
there 1866. ("Report of the Presb. Church of
Canada, 1866," pp. 92, 172.) He belonged to
Aberdeen, and graduated at King's College
1822. ("Grad. King's Coll.," p. 279; "Roll of
Alumni," p. 129.)
160. Rev. Peter Colin Campbell, D.D.,
came from Scotland to Canada as a missionary
in 1836, and was settled at Brockville, Ontario,
where he remained until 1842, when he was
appointed Professor of Classical Literature in
Queen's College, Kingston. In 1845 he returned
to Scotland, and was presented to the parish of
Caputh. From that he went to King's College
as Professor of Greek, and in 1855 became
Principal of the University. ("Report of the
Presb. Church of Canada, 1866," pp. 84, 166 ;
5. N &* Q., 2nd S., V., p. 165.)
161. Alfred Tingle, B.Sc., a native of
Sheffield and there educated, was teacher at
Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen, and in
1896 became Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
at the University of Aberdeen. He holds the
same degree at London University, and the
Ph.D. degree at the University of Pennsylvania
1899. He has been assistant in Chemistry at
the University of Wisconsin, Columbia Univer-
sity, N.Y., and the University of Toronto, Ont.
He was Professor of Chemistry at the Imperial
Provincial College at Chinanfu, Shantung,
China, up to 1905, and is still attached to tlie
faculty of the University as consulting chemist
and mineralogist (Information from Mr. J.
Bishop Tingle, Johns-Hopkins University,
Baltimore, Ind.)
James Gammack, LL.D.
Brodie and Hoare Families.— The following
is supplementary to what appeared in S, N &* Q.,
1st S., XII., 61. The Aberdeen Journal of $th
September last reports that "a marriage has been
arranged between Joseph Brodie Hoare, eldest
son of Mr. E. Brodie Hoare, of Tenchleys,
Limpsfield, Surrey, and Gwendolen Margaret,
third daughter of Mr. James Cosmo Melvill, of
Meole Brace Hall, Shrewsbury." The Hoares
trace descent from Alexander Brodie, who was
at Glassaugh, in Banffshire, in the beginning of
the seventeenth century, but migrated to London.
Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, sergeant-surgeon
to William IV. and Queen Victoria, was Alex-
ander Brodie's grandson, and his daughter mar-
ried Rev. Edward Hoare, Tunbridge Welle,
who was the father of Mr. E. Brodie Hoare of
Tenchleys.
Robert Murdoch.
Two Aberfoyle Epitaphs.— In his notes to
" Rob Roy," Sir Walter Scott calls attention to
the folk-lore researches of two of the ministers
of Aberfoyle parish, and gives the interesting
legend attached to the death of the earlier of
the two. Their tombstones stand in the church-
yard, and are inscribed as follows : —
Sacred to the Memory | of the | Revd. Patk.
Graham, D.D., | minister of Aberfoyle, | who de-
parted this life on the 4th | Septr., 1835, in the
80th year of | his age and 48th of his ministry. |
To the Literary World he | was known as an
accomplished | Scholar — to the Flock over whom
I he presided, as a faithful Minister | of the Gos-
pel—to the Society in | which he moved, as an
humble and | sincere Christian — to his Family | as
an affectionate Husband, | Parent, and Instructor.
The inscription on the stone of Dr. Graham's
predecessor is shorter and more succinct : —
Hie sepultus | ille Evangelii | Promulgator | ac-
curatus | et J linguae Hiberniae | Lumen | M.
Robertus Kirk | Aberioile Pastor | Obiit 14 Maii
1692 I i^tat 48.
Beneath the lettering there is a shield on which
are cut out a Scottish thistle, a sword, and a
crozier, the latter two being crossed. It will be
noted that Kirk's dates do not correspond with
those given by Sir Walter.
Corson Cone.
5S
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[October, 1906
THE CANT FAMILY.
(Continued from 2nd S., VIII., p. 25.)
The Charter, No. 1,428, given at Edinburgh,
6th November, 1534, by which the king granted
to John Melville of Raith the annual rents of
certain lands at Hiltoun of Rossyth in the
county of Fife, although introducing the Cants,
as it were, only by a side issue, is interesting,
throwing as it does a little light upon the state
of the " Kingdom," at that period. " Robertus
Orrok et ejus complices pro invasione Alexandri
O. de Sillebawbe ejusque fratrum et amicorum,
pro corum interfectione ex veteri inimicitia," etc.
Walt. Cant is mentioned in a note as a member
of assize.
In a confirmatory charter, dated at Stirling,
4th May, 1536, we again make the acquaintance
of Henricus Cant of " Ovir-Libertoun," who
seems to have been a person of some note in
his day, and his consang^uineous witness, Matheo
Cant. The original charter, dated Edinburgh,
26th February, 1520, is inthefoUo^^ingterms : —
** ... cum consensu Margarete Seytoun
sponse sue, domine conjuncte infeodationis
terrarum subscript., — pro summa pecunie sibi
persoluta,vendidit(quondam) Henrico Creich-
TOUN de Ricardtoun, heredibus ejus et as-
signatis — superioritatem mansionis, turris et
fortidicii de Ovir-Libertoun, cum domibus, ortis,
clausura, 10 marcatas 5 sol. 2 den. terrarum de
Ovir-Libertoun, vulgariter le Serjandis — landis
nuncupat. (de quibus 6 mercatas 5 sol. 2 den.
Walt. Chepman burgen. de Edinburgh de
dictis Hen. Cant et Marg. in pignore habuit,
tunc vigore litere reversionis a dicto Walt,
redemptas ; et 4 mercat. jacen. in //> Bank per
diet. Hen. Cant et ejus servitores occupate sunt),
in villa et territorio de Ovir-Libertoun, vie.
Edinburgh."
Then follows the extraordinary condition :
" Reddknd. Annuatim regi unam rosam
rubeam nomine albe firme." This charter
seems to imply that Henry of Over Liberton
had got into financial difficulties.
Again we come to the Carmichaels of Carpow,
and D. Henrico Cant is a never-failing witness
to the charters pertaining to this family. As
none of them are of outstanding interest, being
simply confirmatory charters of grants of land
made by and to them, a passing reference will
suffice. The charter dated Edinburgh, 12th
March 1 536-7, confirms one dated " Dunde
14 Nov. 1536." Another "Apud Edinburgh
2 Jul. 1 541," confirms one "Apud Dunde 14
Nov. 1 536," and one " Apud burgum de
Dunde 13 Mar. 1530.'* And still a third, given
at Dundee i6th Dec, 1541, confirms another
dated at this port so recently as 29 April of the
same year.
No. 1,736, bearing the date 26th Dec, 1537,
from ** Linlithqw," takes us again to Fife, this
time, however, to the east. It introduces so many
names still characteristic of the ancient kingdom
that I make no apology for transcribing it in
extenso: — " Rex confirmavit cartam factam per
Mariotam Symsoun filiam et unam heredum
quondam Willelmi Symsoun de Lathrisk (cum
consensu Johannis Cowtis ejus sponsi), et per
Johannem Johnstoun burgensem de Edinburgh,
alterum heredum dicti. Wil, — [qua pro summa
pecunie persoluta, vendiderunt David Wemys
de eodem, heredibus ejus et assignatis, — duas
suas sextas partes terrarum de Lathrisk, vie.
Fyfe : — Ten END. de rege :— Reservato libero
tenemento Eliz. Cant relicte dicti Wil. : — Test.
D. Tho. Mailvile rectore de Hwtoun, M. Alex.
Kynnynmont, M. Jacobo Strang, D. Rob,
Simsoun Capellano, Tho Kynnynmont, Joh.
Buchquhannane et Alex. Young notariis pub-
licis :— Apud Edinburgh 13 Dec 1537]: Test,"
etc.
We now meet for the first time in these
charters, George Cant, baillie in Edinburgh,
who seems, like Henry of ** Ovir-Libertoun," to
have been a man of some consequence. We
learn from the Edinburgh Burgh Records that
there was, towards the end of the fifteenth
century, in the capital, a Henry Cant, who was
the son of a George Cant. It is not improbable
that this Henry, who was seemingly also a man
of some note, was the father of George the
baillie, as, according to the Scottish system ol
naming children, the eldest son takes the pater-
nal grandfather's name, and names in families
are thus generally reproduced once at least
in every second generation. It may here be
remarked in passing, that Henry seems to have
been a popular family name with all the branches
of the Cant family. It is always well to keep
such facts in mind when tracing the various
branches of a family to their common pro-
genitor. The entry in the Burgh Records reads :
"Henricus Cant filius et heres apparend Georgij
Cant effectus est burgensis et finiuit species et
vinum." Considering his position in the Town
Council, therefore, it is no matter for surprise to
find George witnessing one long charter, by
which Robert Graham, who, we learn, had been
the Burgh treasurer, and Margarete Auldjoy, his
spouse, get certain town lands in fee ; and
another by which James Makgill, burgess in
Edinburgh, and Helen Wardlaw, his spouse,
get a similar grant. These grants were made
by the provost and magistrates of the city to
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
59
the two recipients as a single transaction, one
piece of land, viz., "tuelf pairts of the commoun
mere " being granted to them " equalie be equal
diuisioun," Neither the charters nor the records
are altogether clear upon the subject, and I
cannot get over the feeling that it was rather a
shady transaction.
No. 2^166, a St. Andrews charter, dated "7
Jan. 1540," confirming one dated at Huntlie
only three days earlier — surely smart work for
these days when the motor car, railway train,
artd even the post chaise were not — is interesting.
Patrick Gray concedes to Patrick, the son of
Andrew his brother, in life rent, three-fourths of
the lands of Bawgillo, with their mills and
granaries, in repayment of the great service
which the said Patrick had rendered his uncle.
The lands, etc., were occupied, among others,
by one David Kante — note the unusual spelling
of the name ! Bawgillo is mentioned as being
in "vie. Forfare." Can anyone identify the
locality ?
The next two deeds in the volume to which
our attention is drawn are mentioned above,
and reintroduce us to our old friend D. Hen.
Cant, in his capacity of witness to the Car-
mi chaels of Carpow. They are the two dated
"Edinburgh, 2 Jul. 1541," and "Dunde 16 Dec.
1 541," respectively.
Another Henry, who has also some claims
upon our friendship, reappears in a charter
dated "Apud S. Andream, 18 Mar. 1541-42,"
dealing with the affairs of the Mariote Broun
mentioned in the first deed to which I referred.
The last charter in the volume relating to the
Cants, dated Edinburgh, 19th October, 1542,
confirms "cartam Jacobi abbatis monasterii
B.v.M. de Newbottill, et conventus ejusdem, —
[qua, — cum terre subscripte ad grana et segetes
essent admodum steriles, et quoad armeuta
propter frequentes incursiones latronum qui
fuerunt a limitibus ad multos annos elapsos
quasi vaste et inutiles extarent, — pro servitio
sibi inipenso,ad feodifirmam dimiserunt familiari
servitori et amico suo Alexandro Adamsoun
burgensi de Edinburgh et JONETE Cant ejus
spouse, — terras de Westir Denyshousis, in
dominio de Newbottill, prope terras suas de
Romanno— grange, vie. Peblis (infra limiles
specificatas)," etc., etc. This charter is doubly
interesting to me, for, besides the Cant reference,
it is one of the first, if not the very first, made
by the abbot in question. This abbot, who was
the last of Newbattle, was a member of the
Haswell family, materials for whose history I
am at present collecting. Whether of the
Border stock or of another branch which was
settled in East Lothian, I am not yet sure, but
he was a man of outstanding force of character,
who left his mark at the most critical period in
the history of his church, not only upon the
abbey over which he held sway, but also to
some extent upon the history of our land. This
is somewhat irrelevant to a survey of the Cant
family, but I trust that such an irrevelancy may
be overlooked ; and should any reader be able
to furnish any particulars regarding the Haswell
family in general, or this abbot in particular, I
shall be extremely grateful for the information.
I Summerbank,
Edinburgh.
W. Saunders.
To be continued.
Brodie, Michie, and Gauld Families.—
The following notes on the above may interest
your subscriber who is enquiring about the
Michies and connections (2nd S., VI., 45, 62): —
Helen Michie, born 19th April, 1777 (interred
in Strathdon Churchyard), married on loth May,
1798, William Gauld, who was born 15th May,
1758 — he is buried in Glenbuchat Churchyard.
Their eldest son, Jonathan Gauld, was born at
Newton, Glenbuchat, 27th June, 1799 ; died at
Crofts, Glenbuchat, i6th January, 1876, and was
interred in Glenbuchat Churchyard. This Jona-
than Gauld married, on the 19th February,
1858, Mary Ann Brodie, youngest daughter of
William Brodie, and his wife, Mary Reid ; was
born at Backies, Glenbuchat, nth December,
1828 ; died at Balnacraig, Glenbuchat, 4th
March, 1905. Their family consisted of William
Gauld, born at Crofts, Glenbuchat, 31st January,
1859, died dth May, 1863, interred at Glen-
buchat ; Mary Ann Gauld, born at Crofts, Glen-
buchat, 31st May, 1863, died at Cults, 29th June,
1878, interred at Glenbuchat ; and Jonathan
Gauld, born at Crofts, Glenbuchat, 8th January,
1 86 1, who married, at Edinburgh on i6th June,
1898, Elizabeth Stewart, second daughter of
Andrew Bell Stewart and Annie Brooks Laurie.
This Elizabeth Stewart was born at Berbice,
Demerara, 22nd May, 1878, died at 2 Meadow-
bank Avenue, Edinburgh, 17th May, 1906. Jona-
than Gauld and Elizabeth Stewart had the fol-
lowing issue, all born in Edinburgh : Annie
Laurie, bom 31st March, 1899; Marion, bom i iih
September, 1900; and Dorothy Stewart Brodie,
born 30th March, 1903. By the death of Mary
Ann Brodie or Gauld, as stated above, the last
of that surname in Glenbuchat as a residenter
took place, a fact deeply regretted by the inhabi-
tants of the district.
Robert Murdoch.
6o
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[October, 1906
SOME OF DR. JOHN LEYDEN'S
INEDITED POEMS.
In response to your correspondent " Alba" in
your issue of July, I have much pleasure in
sending for publication in Scottish Notes and
Queries Dr. John Leyden's " Song of Wallace,'*
which, as I pointed out in my article on Hogg's
"The Spy," has never appeared in any of the
editions of his poetical works :
Song of Wallace.
By Dr. John Leyden.
Farewell, each dun heath and each green Scottish
plain,
Which Wallace shall never revisit again,
Where the flower of my heroes lie mouldering
below —
But their graves have been steeped with the blood
of their foe.
My warriors, undaunted, disdaining to yield,
We've stemm'd the red torrent that crimsoned the
field ;
Where the proud English columns show glittering
afar,
We have reap'd with our swords the red harvest
of war.
We have fought till our hands to our falchions
were glued ;
We have fought against fortune with hearts un-
subdued ;
We have piled up the slain, till we fainted with
toil;
And our's was the victory, our country's the spoil.
On the field, on the scaffold, each death we defy,
For 'tis sweet for our friends, for our country to
die ;
For these we first arm'd in the green vales of Kyle,
And for these, amid tortures, we sternly will smile.
Not fame nor vain glory allur'd us to arms,
That array foulest murder in fair Virtue's charms ;
But the gales brought the shrieks of our maids to
our ear.
And curs'd were the cowards refusing to hear.
Our maids they were fair, and our love it was
true,
With fondest affection they bade us adieu ;
Our swords they were wet with the warm trickling
tear —
We have melted with pity, but never with fear.
Farewell, my lov'd friends, who unconquer'd
remain,
We, true sons of freedom, shall yet meet again ;
The fi»lds of the blest are ne'er purpl'd with gore ;
My country, farewell, I shall see thee no more.
There is unfortunately no exhaustive life of that
remarkable man, still less is there a good and
well edited edition of his poems. The best that
has yet appeared is his " Poetical Remains,"
published in 1819, with a sketch of his life by a
cousin of the poet's — the Rev. James Morton,
author of " Monastic Annals of Teviotdale "—
but there are quite a number of Leyden's pieces
that Richard Heber, who edited the poems,
either omitted or had overlooked, and which
have remained unnoticed by subsequent editors.
The five sonnets in " The Edinburgh Annual
Register" for 18 10, curiously enough, had
escaped my notice, as they are not recorded in
my Bibliography of the Life and Writings of Dr.
John Leyden, appended to his " Journal of a
Tour in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland
in 1800," published by Messrs. Wm. Blackwood
and Sons in 1903. I am, therefore, under a
debt of gratitude to "Alba" for drawing my
attention to the fact, and I lost no time in pro-
curing the volume^ There I read for the first
time the three beautiful sonnets, entitled
" Memory," "To the Lark," and "To a Mossy
Gravestone in Cavers Churchyard." To my
astonishment, however, on reading the sonnets
" Sabbath Morning " and " On Parting with
a Friend," I found several variations in the
former, and the latter almost unrecognisable when
compared with the versions as published in his
poems. I give both versions, so that your
correspondent and your readers generally may
note the different readings :
On the Sabbath Morning.
With silent awe I hail the sacred morn,
That slowly waxes while all the fields are still !
A soothing calm on every breeze is borne ;
A grraver murmur gurgles from the rill ;
And echo answers softer from the hill ;
And softer sings the linnet from the thorn ;
The sky-lark warbles in a tone less shrill.
Hail, light serene ! hail, sacred Sabbath-morn !
The rooks float silent by in airy drove ;
The sun a placid, yellow lustre throws ;
The gales, that lately sighed along the grove,
Have hush'd their downy wings in dead repose ;
The hovering rack of clouds forget to move :
So smird the day when the first morn arose !
— From Morton's ** Poetic Remains of the late
Dr. John Leyden," London, 1819.
Sabbath Morning.
Hail to the placid, venerable morn,
That slowly waxes while all the fields are still !
A pensive calm on every breeze is borne,
A graver murmur gurgles from the rill.
And echo answers softer from the hill ;
While softer sings the linnet from the thorn ;
The sky-lark warbles in a tone less shrill.
Hail, light serene ! hail, holy Sabbath-morn !
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
6i
The gales that lately sigh'd along the grove
Have hush'd their downy wings in dead repose ;
The rooks float silent by in airy drove ;
The sun a mild but solemn lustre throws ;
The clouds that hoverM slow forget to move :
Thus smilM the day when the first morn arose 1
—From •* The Edinburgh Annual Register " for
1810.
On Parting with a Friend on a Journey.
Written in 1797.
As o^er the downs expanding silver gray,
You pass, dear friend, your altered form I view
Diminished to a shadow dim and blue,
As oft I turn to gaze with fond delay.
Alas, that youthful friendships thus decay !
While fame or fortune's dizzy heights we seek,
Or through the mazy windings of the vale
Of busy life pursue our separate way,
Too soon by nature's rigid laws we part.
Too soon the moments of affection fly,
Nor h'om the grave shall one responsive sigh
Breathe soft to soothe the sad survivor's heart 1
Ah ! that when life's brief course so soon is o'er,
We e'er should friendship's broken tie deplore.
— From Morton's " Poetical Remains of the
late Dr. John Leyden," London, 1819.
, On Parting with a Friend.
While far, dear friend, your parting steps recede,
I frequent turn to gaze with fond delay ;
How faint your lineaments and form decay,
Diminished to a dim, unbodied shade.
Alas, that thus our early friendships fade 1
While through the busy vale of life we stray,
And hold the separate tenor of our way,
Thus imperceptibly our minds secede.
Yet sure too soon, thou brother of my heart.
So lately found, but therefore loved the more.
Too soon the moments of affection fly !
Too soon by nature's rig^d laws we part ;
Surviving friends may o'er our tomb deplore.
But never hear a soft responsive sigh.
—From •• The Edinburgh Annual Register "
for 1810.
I am fortunately in a position to place beyond
doubt the correct version of the sonnet " On
the Sabbath Morning," as I possess the original
manuscript of this delightful poem, which the
Rev. Sydney Smith is said to have pronounced
the most beautiful sonnet in our language. In
the manuscript copy it is exactly as in the
various collections of Leyden's Poetical Works.
In addition to this MS. I have another, viz , a
sonnet entitled ^^ Love,'* written in 1800, and this
also is the same as in the collected editions of !
his poems. How, then, are we to account for the
different readings of these two sonnets ? I can
only explain it in one way. There may have
been rough drafts, afterwards revised by Leyden,
and, along with the other three sonnets, sent by
him to Scott, who, years afterwards, published
them in "The Edinburgh Annual Register" for
1 8 10, as he seems to have done the "Song of
Wallace" in Hogg's "The Spy" in 1811.
The little volume your correspondent refers to
was published in Edinburgh m 18 13, and is
entitled " A Memorial of Anne Margaret
Anderson," the wife of David Irving, LL.D.,and
the poem it contains by Leyden is an " Elegy
on the Death of a favourite Linnet," addressed
to Miss Anderson. It was first published in the
" Edinburgh Magazine" for April, 1799, ^ut has
never been included in any collected edition of
his poems.
Regarding "Alba's" last query : the Aurelia
of Leyden's muse was Margaret Brown, authoress
of a volume of poems, published in 18 19, en-
titled " Lays of Affection." She was a sister of
Dr. Thomas Brown, Professor of Moral Philo-
sophy in the University of Edinburgh.
James Sinton.
Hassendean,
Eastfield, Joppa.
FOLK-LoRE OF Baptism.— If a brother and
sister are baptised with water out of the same
bowl, it is said the sister will have a beard.
This item of folk-lore is current in Strathdon and
Glenbuchat Hence, mothers are warned before-
hand not to use the same bowl and water in
baptism when a girl is to be baptised !
Robert Murdoch.
Place-Names, Dialects, and Folk-lore
OF THE North of Scotland.— The Viking
Club (Society for Northern Research) is about
to issue a Quarterly dealing with the antiquities
and records of Orkney, Shetland, and the North
of Scotland, which district for many centuries
formed the Norse earldom of Orkney. One
division of the work will be devoted to the
elucidation of the place-names, dialects, and
folk-lore. .At present the place-names of Orkney
are being collected by a local committee under
the direction of Mr. J. W. Cursiter, F.S.A. Scot,
of Kirkwall, with the cordial approval of the
Ordnance Department, who have placed their
maps at the disposal of the society. The work
of collecting place-names, making researches
into the dialects and folk-lore, printing and edit-
ing, will entail considerable expense in advance
of publication, and greatly in excess of the
society's income from annual subscriptions.
The society wishes to have a sum of at least
;^2,ooo invested for this purpose.
'
62
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[October, 190b
S. Mary's Chapel, Aberdeen.— Amongst
the papers of local interest in Vol. I., Part III.,
of " The Transactions of the Scottish Ecclesio-
logical Society," there is one by A. M. Munro,
City Chamberlain, on ** Monumental Inscrip-
tions and Carved Woodwork in S. Mary's Chapel,
Aberdeen," illustrated by several fine photo-
graphs of heraldic panels and adoration of the
Magi.
Robert Murdoch.
dluertcB.
777. Origin of Names " Beinn Iutharn
Mhor'* and "Beag.** — These hills, which reach a
height of 3,424 and 3,011 feet respectively, are the
highest points of a group of hills at the head of
Glen Ey on Deeside. They form the boundary
between the counties of Aberdeen and Perth, and
are on the watershed of the Dee and Tilt, the latter
river being among the principal tributaries of the
Tay. We may pass over all discussion of words
** Beinn," also of ** Mhor" and " Beag," as they are
well known to mean "big" and "little" respectively,
confining our attention to "Iutharn." Beinn Iutharn
being the scene of the last (and most enjoyable)
excursion of the Cairngorm Club, I being present,
the name of the hill is of interest to me. In the
" Scottish Mountaineering Club Guide Book," which
is incorporated with the "Journal" published by the
Scottish Mountaineering Club, I find that the name
is said to mean the rather unspeakable one of
*'Hell," the whole name meaning "The Big and
Little Mountain of Hell." Indeed, this was the
meaning given of the hill by a prominent member of
the Cairngorm Club who went up it along with the
rest of the party on the occasion referred to.
Certainly, on consulting McAlpine's Gaelic Diction-
ary, I find that, in the English-Gaelic part, " Hell"
is translated as " Iutharn," but I am also surprised
to find that " Iutharn " is not given at all in the
Gaelic- English part. This, however, is a mere
detail. The object of this auery is to ask: Why
have these hills been cursed with such a terrific
name? There is most assuredly no precipice or
abyss of any kind on Beinn Utharn Mhor, and, so
far as I could see, the same remark might apply to
Beinn Utharn Beag : these hills being the scene of
some bloody and murderous deed was suggested by
some of the members at the above-mentioned trip.
Perhaps some of the correspondents to S. N. 6* Q.
will enlighten us on the matter.
Craigiebucklcr,
By Aberdeen.
Sydney C. Couper.
7*pB. John Heiton.— This gentleman contributed
to tne Edinburgh Ladies* yournal in 1859 a series
of articles on the different classes of people living in
Auld Reekie, interspersed with racy and curious
anecdotes, which were published in book form in
i860, entitled •• The Castes of Edinburgh." The
author styles himself **John Heiton, of Darnick
Tov/er." This tower is near Melrose, and I have
heard that John Heiton died there and was buried
in the Abbey graveyard. His younger brother,
Andrew Heiton, a Perth architect, inherited the
tower, and died in 1893. What was the date of
John Helton's death ? Probably some of your
South Country readers will know. Also, was he the
author of a great deal of verse published in the
Edinburgh Ladles^ yournal under the pen name of
"Anthony Oneal Haye," author of " Poemata,"
" Darnick Lays," etc.? I have been told that Haye
was a Writer to the Signet, but I am doubtful if he
ever existed. Some of the poems were very good —
I have several — but I never saw any account of the
author. Heiton also published a number of essays
and sketches which he had furnished for that same
paper, but I cannot recall the exact title of the book,
although I have seen it. Was Heiton the editor of
the Edinburgh Ladies^ Journal ?
Melbourne, Australia.
Alba.
779. Priest Gordon. — John Skelton is said to
have given "a brief but admirable sketch" of Priest
Gordon " incidentally" in Eraser's Magazine. Can
any reader supply the date ?
J. M. Bulloch.
780. The Name McKelvie. — I shall feel obliged
by any information (i) as to its origin, and (2), if
Scottish, are the McKelvies connected with any
clan, and what tartan would they have the right to
wear? Wm. Ferguson.
Perth.
781. Burke's "Landed Gentry." — What are
the respective dates of the editions, one to eight, of
this work ? In the Public Library here there is only
one copy, bearing the date 1849, but as no reference
is made either on the title page or in the preface
to the number of the edition, I presume it is the
first. Have any later editions of Burke's "Com-
moners" and " Royal Families," than 1838 and 1851
respectively, been issued ?
I Summerbank,
Ediirburgh.
W. Saundbrs.
auBwers.
530.— An Old Seal of Aberdeen (2nd S., VI.,
109 ; VII., 32, 47). —As a supplement to Mr. Cook's
answer and with special reference to Aberdeen, it
may be added that the Commissariot Courts were
held in the Consistory House, which was built by
Bishop William Stewart in 1559 in the west end of
the north aisle of the Cathedral (Orem). Com mis-
Vot. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
63
saiy Courts were so called because they were held
by officials or judges to whom the bishops committed
duties belonging to them. They ceased with the
abolition of the authority of the bishops at the
Reformation, but were reappointed in 1563-4 with
a new charter, and were held in the city of Aberdeen.
On a representation from the burgesses of Old Aber-
deen that since the Reformation it had nothing to
depend upon but the College, an Act of Parliament
was passed restoring the Commissariot Court to
Old Aberdeen, November i, 1597. John Spalding,
author of the *• Memorialls of the Trubles," was
clerk of the Commissary Court about 1630, and he
probably continued in office till his death, which
likely took place in 1648, when, at the instigation
of the burgesses of Aberdeen, an Act was passed
transferring the Court to the southern town. The
Rescissory Act of 1661, abolishing everything done
by Parliament since 1633, was supposed to overturn
the Act of 1648, and therefore another Act was
passed confirming it ; but by the restoration of
Episcopacy, Old Aberdeen was able to get back the
Commissariot Courts in 1662, and retained them till
1690, when they were finally transferred to a house
in Castle Street, Aberdeen. A fire occurred in it in
1721, by which all the records oi the Court were
destroyed. Changes on Commissary Courts were
made by Acts of Parliament in 1823, 1830, 1836,
and 1850, and they were finally abolished in 1S76.
John Milnb, LL.D.
744. The Haigs of Bemersyde (2nd S., VIII.,
12, 46). — I may mention that a history ot the Haigs
oi Bemersyde was written by John Russell, and
published by Blackwood of Edinburgh in 1881, 8vo.
This interesting family history covers a period from
839 A.D. to 188 1 : Pictish Genealogy, Early Charters,
Date of the Rhymer, A Soldier of Fortune, Bal-
merino's Trial, Abduction of an Heiress, Jacobite
Rebellion, Family Genealogy, etc.
Robert Murdoch.
759. Sir Hugh Halcrow (2nd S., VIII., 28).—
The Halcros were a family of considerable distinc-
tion in the early history of Scotland. They belonged
to the breed of the old sea kings of Orkney. Tradi-
tion traces their origin to Halcro, a prince of Den-
mark. History unequivocally testifies to a marriage
in the i6th century between a Halcro of that ilk and
a grand-daughter of James V. of Scotland. From
this union, in a later generation, came Margaret
Halcro, wife of the Rev. Henry Erskine of Chirnside,
Berwickshire, and mother of the Erskines, Ebenezer
and Ralph, founders of the Secession Church.
Shortly after the middle of the 17th century, the
main line of the Halcros of Orkney became extinct,
but numerous representatives of the name, branches
from the original stem, subsequently appear in the
Orkney Islands, especially South Ronaldshay, in
Shetland, in Leith, and a few in England ; while a
branch of the family seems to have migrated to
Holland. It was as landed proprietors, clergymen,
ship captains, and provision merchants that the
Halcros sought to justify their existence. They were
ever men of deeds rather than of words. So far as
is known, no member of the family ever gratified his
adversary by writing a book. I am unable to place
** Sir Hugh Halcrow." The person so designated
must have deceased subsequent to the year 1845.
The name may be a «ow de plume, or the title merely
one of courtesy; perhaps both name and title are
*'the self-chosen memorial of one who would leave
behind him no other history." Why grudge a paltry
knighthood to a family in whose veins the royal
blood of Scotland flows? If "Alba" will refer to
Ebenezer E. Scott's " Erskine- Halcro Genealogy,"
Edinburgh, 1895, he will probably discover ample
reason for believing the Halcros entitled to any
number of knighthoods. Aliquis.
760. Grace before Meat (2nd S., VIII., 28). —
So far as my knowledge goes, the words cited are
not well known as a grace either in the North or
elsewhere in Scotland. The terms used in the query
appear to be quoted from the fifth edition of Dr.
A. Moody Stuart's ** Life and Letters of the last
Duchess of Gordon." In the first and third editions
of that work, however, no such words as those
quoted are to be found. In both editions the intro-
ductory chapter is largely made up of extracts from
the " Diary" of Brodie of Brodie. On p. 26 of the
first edition, the diarist tells of having been made
an honorary burgess of Glasgow, and subsequently
entertained at a banquet. As an appropriate reflec-
tion he says in his " Diary," " Oh so little as meat
profits! The meat for the belly, and the belly for
meat, and both for destruction " — which sounds less
like the gratitude of a thankful heart than the ex-
postulation of a satiated stomach. Would Mr.
Robert Murdoch kindly say in what connection the
quotation he uses occurs ? Is it an extract from the
"Diary" of Brodie of Brodie? or are the words
introduced by Dr. Moody Stuart as applicable to
something which Brodie has said ? S.
761. Adam Donald (2nd S., VIII., 28). —Were
there two •' prophets of Bethel nie "? Adam Donald,
necromancer and quack doctor, according to the
" Dictionary of National Biography," was born in
1703 and died in 1780. The sketch of his life in the
" Dictionary," based on a Peterhead chap-book,
mentions that he was married and had a daughter,
but does not speak of any son. Yet the query
asserts that ''he flourished from 1820 to 1832." Has
** Alba " fallen into error here, or is it a case of two
" Richmonds in the field " ? W. S.
762. James Clyde, LL.D. (2nd S., VIIL, 28).—
Dr. Clyde, who was for some years one of the
masters in Dollar Institution, is, I believe, still alive —
at least he was so lately. "Alba" is, however,
mistaken in saying that he was father of a Scottish
judge. Perhaps I should rather say he is premature,
as James Avon Clyde, the gentleman whom I have
no doubt he means to specify, and who for a few
months held the post of Solicitor-General for Scot-
64
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[October, 1906
land under the administiation of Mr. Balfour, has
not yet been raised to the Bench. Doubtless, if he
is spared till the Conservative party return to power,
he IS in the running for a judgeship, but meanwhile
he is only a member of the Scottish Bar. I may
say that Dr. Clyde was the son of the Antiburghec
mmister of Dumfries. W. B. R. W.
According to the last issue of " Who's Who," Dr.
Clyde was alive about the beginning of the present
year. He was then residing in Edinburgh. It may
not be generally known that he was for some years
a Secession minister in Dumfries before becoming a
teacher. As a Greek scholar he was held in the
highest repute. The late Professor Blackie was
never weaiy of singing the praises of his ** Romaic
and Modern compared with Ancient Greek." In
the junior Greek classes at Edinburgh about forty
years ago **Clyde*s Greek Syntax" was well known,
but not supremely loved by the students. Is not
*' Alba " mistaken in asserting that Dr. Clyde is
** the father of a Scottish judge recently appointed "?
To the best of my recollection , when Lord Salvesen
was raised to the Bench last year, the office of
Solicitor-General, which he had held for a short time
under the Conservative Government, became vacant,
and James A. Clyde, K.C., Dr. Clyde's son, and one
of the ablest advocates at the Scottish Bar, was
chosen to succeed him. W. S.
763. Glasgow Book (2nd S., VIII., 28).— "The
Chronicles of St. Mungo, or, Antiquities and Tradi-
tions of Glasgow," published in 1843, is attributed
to Wallace Harvey. W. S.
764. Georoe Blair, M.A. (2nd S., VIII., 29).—
The details asked for by "Alba" I am unable to
furnish, but hope the following additional particulars
about George Blair may not be unacceptable. He
was born at Perth in 18 18, and studied for the
ministry of the Church of Scotland at St. Andrews.
On completing his curriculum and receiving licence,
he was appointed minister of the parish of Monzie,
Perthshire. His poem, "The Holocaust," deals with
an incident in the history of the parish, as is ex-
plained in the full title: "The Holocaust; or, The
Witch of Monzie : A Poem Illustrative of the Cruel-
ties of Superstition, and Descriptive of the Burning
of Kate McNiven, the Witch of Monzie, and one of
the last Victims of Fire and Faggot in Scotland."
After a brief ministry of two years, Blair resigned
his charge at Monzie, and betook himself to literary
work in Glasgow. His "Text-Book of the Tele-
graph" was never, I believe, published. Of his
subsequent career in Canada I have no information.
W. S.
765. Moses Provan (2nd S., VIII., 29, 48). —
The sceptical banter of " Chappie" (whose identity
his speech bewrayeth) makes it necessary to be more
definite. Moses Provan, who is designated "of
Auchingillan," is acknowledged in the proper quarter
as the Undoubted founder of the Glasgow Athenaeum.
The exact date of his death was February 21, 1871.
There may be truth in the " Chappie*s " objection
to his being described as "a prominent literary
man," but he seems to have had many cultivated
interests. The Glasgow Herald describes him as
"an antiquary and a linguist," and says he had
" a well developed literary capacity and taste, which
was equally at home in foreign and native literature."
Evan Odd.
770. A. J. Warden (2nd S., VIII., 45). — Alex.
J. Warden was born in 1810, and spent his early
years at Kinnettles. In 1825 he came to Dundee,
and served an apprenticeship to banking in the
National Bank. He was afterwards managing clerk
to Messrs. Balfour &. Meldrum, manufacturers, and
began on his own account in 1833, erecting a linen
factory. In 1864 he published his book on "The
Linen Trade," on " The Burgh Towns of Scotland
1870, and "Angus or Forfarshire," 5 vols., in 1880-85.
Mr. Warden died on 24th February, 1892.
Dundee. A. H. Millar.
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Scots Soofts of tbe Aontb.
Eyre -Tod d« Qeorg^e. Scotland : Picturesque
and Traditional. 56 Illustrations. 8vo. Net, 3/6.
Gowans & Gray.
Qoolrick, John T. The Life of General Hugh
Mercer. Illustrated. 8vo. Net, 7/6.
Neale Publishing Co., New York and Washington.
Qray, Peter. Skibo : Its Lairds and History.
With Frontispiece. Net, 4/6.
Oliphant, Anderson.
Mackay, Ans:u5, M.A. The Book of Mackay.
Profusely Illustrated. 4to. Net. 21/-
Norman Macleod, Edinburgh.
Reld, Alan, P.E.I.S., p.5.A.5cot. Kinghorn:
A Short History and Description of a Notable
Fifeshire Town and Parish. Illustrated. 4to.
Net, 2/-. L. Macbean, Kirkcaldy.
Reid, Alan, P.^.A^Scot, and Wm. Kirk*
Royal Dunfermline. Richly Illustrated. 8vo.
Net, 6d. A. Romanes & Son, Dunfermline.
Vaushan, Herbert M., B.A.Oxon. Last of
the Royal Stuarts: Henry Stuart, Cardinal Duke
of York. 8vo. Net, 10/6. Metheun.
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SCOTTISH
NOTES AND QUERIES
2nd 8Mm».J ^^"« 0'
November, 1906.
illQIBmiED{gJJ»pMi ^,
CONTENTS.
Nom:- PaQ»
EUxa Inverarity ^
Brodie, Michie, and Oauld Families • . 66
Forfarahire at a Factor In Scottish Life and lliought 69
A Bibliography of Bdinbuish Periodical Literature . . 72
Macpherson Lettem.— Ill 75
Bibliography of Montrose Periodical Literature 77
MiROK NOTKS:—
Capt. Congalton— The Cant Family 67
Simeon Orahame— Patrick Oed, li.D.— Still Boom. . 68
Anthony Donlop-Oift to Bums' Danghter—D. M.
Peter— Forfarshire, etc 71
Scotch Church, Brfurt— "Patriotism* in 1778— A
Journey from ISdlnburgh to London 74
** Out of the Month of Babes"— Alexander Whitelaw
—A Laundry Bill of the i8th Century 76
The NorUiem Fencibles 77
QuvaiBs:—
Byron and the Plain of Marathon- Sir James Home
Burnett's Challenge Bugle— Rhyme of Snuff—
Leyden's Poems— *' Bosy -Angered Mora " 77
A "ScoU Eeriew" of 1774— The Murder of Two
Sons of Gordon of Bllon— Bsoonse— Brompton
Oratory Design— Fetterangus 78
AISWBBS :—
Thomas Lawrance's Mortification— Lawrances of
Pitscow, Kinlnmonth 78
llie Lords Forbes and the "Bush of Kaitness"—
lAwrances in Usan-^Tames Clyde, LLD.— George
Blair, M.A.— Henry Shanks— Peter Paterson—
" Thole, and Think On ! '—The Clan Maclean 79
Origin of Names "Beinn lutham Mhor" and " Beag"
—John Heiton— Priest Gordon — The Name
M *Kelvie— Burke's " Landed Gentry " 80
Soots Books ov thb Month 80
ABERDEEN, NOVEMBER, 1906.
ELIZA INVERARITY.
Among the many vocalists whom Scotland has
given birth to, none aroused more enthusiasm
during the thirties of the past century than Miss
Inverarity. She was young, handsome, beauti-
ful, and possessed of a superb soprano voice,
which, when exercised upon our native songs,
was listened to with rapture by the citizens of
Edinburgh. > I heard the late James March, an
old tenor singer who had been trained by the
celebrated R. A. Smith, and sang for years in
St. George's Church choir, declare that Eliza
Inverarity's singing of" Logan Braes," " The Lea
Rijf,'' " The Birks of Invermay," and " Gloomy
Wmter's Noo Awa'," was simply perfection. He
had been an operatic singer himself and had
heard all the musical stars, but no voice evoked
the latent feeling in his mind like Eliza Inver-
arity's. " She was a bonnie lassie," he would
observe, " the grandest singer o* oor country's
sangs that ever I heard, and she died young,
about twenty- five years auld." Yet, strange to
say, no memoir of this gifted lady is to be found
in our biographical collections. Even Mr. David
Baptie, in his " Musical Scotland," although he
refers to her in his preface, omits her biography
altogether. At anyrate, I have looked his book
over (edition 1894; from beginning to end, and
am satisfied that it is not there.
I subjoin a few particulars which I have
gleaned concerning her history. She was a
native of Edinburgh, bom about 1813, and was
the grand-niece of the unfortunate poet Robert
Fergusson, over whose grave Burns erected a
stone in the Canongate Kirkyard. During Fer-
gusson's madness he was affectionately waited
on and attended by his sister Barbara. She
married David Inverarity, an Edinburgh cabinet-
maker, originally from Forfarshire. They had a
son named James, who, I presume, was the father
of the famous can ta trice. James Inverarity was
a spirited man, and it is remembered to his
credit that when young he ably defended his
uncle from the strictures of David Irving, who
published a life of Fergusson in 1799. ^is
daughter soon became known by her wonderful
singing of Scottish songs, especially "The Lay
of the Forsaken Maid,'' and its melancholy
burden :
Sae merry as we twa hae been,
Oh, sae merry as we twa hae been !
It's a wonder my heart disna brak'
When I think o* the days that are gane.
Benjamin Franklin in one of his essays, alluding
to the plaintive air of this homely song, which he
heard sung in America by a Scottish exile, says
that the sad refrain haimted his mind for days
66
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[November, 1906
afterwards. If the singing of this simple lyric
moved the American statesman so strongly,
what must have been its effect when sung by a
charming girl, radiant in the full enjoyment of
youth and beauty, and dowered with a voice of
surpassing sweetness and power, every word
distinctly enunciated, tingling on the overcloyed
sensorium ! It had a startling and even electrical
influence on great audiences in Auld Reekie-
many were moved to tears, women sobbed, and
all were visibly depressed with the magic of her
wondrous rendition of the complaint of a love-lorn
maiden. Besides, those songs were not Anglified
trash or Italian stuff— mawkish affectations of
refined sentiment, which foolish people think so
superior, but emanations of native verse and
witching melody from the " dear auld hameland,"
com in' frae thackit cot, or lordly ha', or lanely
shielin' — Scotch in fervour, gloom, or gaiety —
and strongly appealing to the poetry and
patriotism of the hearer.
Miss Inverarity's fame increased. She had
the best musical education in Edinburgh, and an
offer came from London for her to appear in
o]3era. She went, and was placed under the
tuition of Sir George Smart, and soon proved
herself an apt pupil. Another Edinburgh vocalist
was then m the ascendant and had been for
several years— Marianne Paton ; but when Eliza
Inveranty appeared upon the stage she easily
eclipsed her townswoman. Her first ap]3earance
in London was at Covent Garden Theatre, on
5th April, 1 83 1, as Zetnira in Spohr's opera
"The Magic Rose." An anonymous author of
"Musical Recollections of the Last Half-Centuiy,"
2 vols., 1872, thus describes Miss Inverarity's
debut : — ** She was eighteen years of age, tall,
well-formed, with open, intelligent, and handsome
countenance, and of easy deportment. Her voice
was a pure soprano of considerable compass,
full-toned, and of rich quality." She subsequently
appeared in Rossini's " La Cenerentola," better
known to us as '' Cinderella," and in other operas,
gaining golden opinions everywhere. She was
only a few years on the stage in London, when
she abruptly retired into private life, "and lived
but a short time afterwards.^' Such is the tale
told by this anonymous writer ; the date of her
death would be about 1838, if March's account
of her being only twenty-five years old was cor-
rect It is stated that she was married after
leaving the stage, but the name of her husband
never transpired.
She remains to us Eliza Inveranty for ever,
but now she is merely a name and nothing more.
She flashed into sudden fame, and then as sud-
denly sank into undeserved oblivion. The early
death of this splendid Scottish songstress recalls
to memory a stanza from a dirge written by an
obscure poet :
She died in beauty ! Like the snow
On flowers, dissolved away ;
She died in beauty ! Like a star
Lost on the brow of day.
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
BRODIE, MICHIE, AND GAULD
FAMILIES.
(2nd S., K///., p, 59.)
William Gauld, as I stated, was bom 15th
May, 1758, and, it may be added, died 25th
April, 1 84 1. He was a son of John Gauld,
Netherton, and his wife, Elizabeth (iracie. He
removed from Netherton to Crofts, Glenbuchat,
in 18 13. To a descendant of the family I am
indebted for the following authentic smuggling
episode, which I herewith append for preserva-
tion in these columns, along with other remarks:
William Gauld, in Crofts, previous to his
removal from Tarntoul, along with Adam Hay,
Upperton, and William Brodie, Backies, was
captured by the excise, smuggling whisky, and
heavily fined. Gauld was able to pay his fine.
Brodie, while languishing in Aberdeen jail, wrote
his wife, Mary Reid, daughter of Archibald
Reid and Jean Middleton, to get sharp tools
passed in to him so that he might break out.
This alarmed her, and she rode, during the night,
on horseback, from Tarntoul to Aberdeen, a
distance of forty-four miles, to inform him that
Lord Fife was using his influence to get him
liberated — he being at that time employed by
his lordship as gamekeeper at Backies.
Brodie, it appears, was on intimate terms with
the notorious Malcolm Gillespie, the Gauger o'
Skene, and used to secrete a small barrel (which
may yet be seen in Glenbuchat), as a sample to
Gillespie, in a secret hole under a bridge at
Skene, and for this obligement Gillespie allowed
him freedom to pass with his ankers. Lexie
Campbell, his housekeeper, once paid a visit to
the Backies.
Brodie when gamekeeper made perforated
leaden bullets, which made a whistling sound as
he shot them over the heads of the poachers to
frighten them. Lord Fife, known as "the Good
Lord James," paid frequent visits to the Backies.
Brodie used to carry him on his back when
fording the Buchat, while visiting the tenantry,
the Buchat being heavy and covering the
stepping-stones then in use, there being no
bridge at that time.
Touching the family of Gaulds I have already
VOL. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
67
referred to, it appears that this branch hailed
from Glass, and were an exceedingly tall and
strong race. James Gauld — whose exploits
have already been described by the editor of
"Epitaphs and Inscriptions" under the Parish
of Glass, which appeared in the Aberdeen
JoumtU — stood six feet four inches in height,
as also did several members of his family.
There were two distinct families in Glass, one
dark and the other fair. The latter are reputed
to be the progenitors of those of the name in
Glenbuchat, who, I have shown, intermarried
with the Michies. The dark race were famed
locally as fist fighters, but the fair race have
been more peaceably inclined.
To the same stock of Michies, who were also
strong men, belonged John Michie of Corrie-
houl, who emigrated to America many years
ago. Before leaving this country he composed
a song, entitled "The Emigrant's Farewell."
I cull a sample verse :
Come, all my old comrades, once more let us join,
Let UB join all our voices to muse on langsyne ;
Let us drink and be merry, from sorrow refrain,
For we may, and may never, meet all here again.
Robert Murdoch.
Capt. Congalton.— Readers of Dr. Carlyle's
"Autobiography" (i860) will remember the fre-
quent mention therein of a medical gentleman,
Charles Congalton, who occupied a distinguished
position in Edinburgh society from 1760 to 1780.
Evidently on his death the family had fallen on
evil days, for in 1840 the only members left were
a widow and her son Samuel. The late Rev.
Alex. Wallace, D.D., a Paisley man and minister
of a large U.P. Church in Glasgow, was holiday-
ing about 1867 at Aberlady, a small seaport on
the southern shores of the Firth of Forth, and
one day he was taken to this widow's cottage,
where he saw a number of spendid silver cups,
jugs, and medals which had been presented to
her son, Captain Samuel Congalton, for his
gallantry and humanity in saving life at sea-
some of the articles had been subscribed for by
the merchants of Calcutta. Dr. Wallace was
surprised at the unwonted sight of so much finery
in a humble cottage, and became deeply inter-
ested in the poor widow's story, which he in turn
narrated in some religious periodical — I read it at
the time, but cannot recall it now. Briefly stated,
it was to the effect that her boy was compelled
by poverty to take a job at road -mending,
and on a cold and rainy day he was so
employed near Aberlady. An old skipper ob-
served the lad at work, and was pleased to see
that there was no scamping of the labour in such
wretched weather, for the boy did his allotted
task thoroughly. He asked the lad if he would
like to go to sea, and he said he would.
Congalton was then transferred to the old salt's
vessel, where his progress was rapid and meri-
torious. The skippers prescience in judging of
the making of a good sailor out of such ordinary
material was justified, for the landward boy
developed into a powerful and athletic man
as well as a daring and skilful mariner. He
passed his exams, with honour, and got com-
mand of a ship when very young. Eventually
he was appointed captain of a vessel trading to
the East Indies, and it was while sailing in
those seas, so frequently visited by sudden
typhoons, that he was instrumental m saving
life. He repeatedly ventured and succeeded in
rescuing shipwrecked crews, and his heroism
was so conspicuous that he was made the
recipient of many public testimonials in the
East. He was a noble type of the manly
Scottish seaman. He came to Melbourne during
the great gold fever of the fifties with a cargo of
East Indian goods — all the crew made off to
the diggings. Hobson's Bay in those times was
crowded with ships, with scarcely anyone on
board — all bolted m the mad rush to the gold
fields. Captain Congalton elected to remain in
Melbourne, and became an East Indian mer-
chant with the cargo which he had brought.
His shop was 148 Collins Street East. Dr.
Wallace did not finish the story, but I learned
the sequel in the Melbourne General Cemetery,
where there is a headstone, with an open Bible
sculptured, with motto above : " Thy will be
done," and, underneath, this inscription: "Sacred
to the Memory of Samuel Congalton, late of
Aberlady, Haddingtonshire, Scotland, who de-
parted this life 4th August, 1 861, aged 33 years."
Presumably the gallant sailor had friends in
Melbourne who erected this tombstone, and sent
the trophies of his intrepedity home to his
sorrowing mother. Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
The Cant Family.— Mr. Saunders, in his
article on "The Cant Family" (p. 59), says,
" Bawgillo is mentioned as being in ' vie.
Forfare.' Can any one identify the locality ? "
There are two Bagillos in Forforshire, one in
the parish of Tannadice, the other in the parish
of Monifieth. It was the latter Bagillo, or
Balgillachy, which Patrick Gray resigned, and
on which David Kante was a tenant. This may
be verified by reference to Jervise's " Memorials
of Angus and the Meams," vol. ii., p. 92.
Alan Reid.
68
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES [November, 1906
Simeon Grahame.— Only two of this writer's
books have been preserved — **The Passionate
Sparke of a Relenting Mind," a poetical pam-
phlet, very ornate, printed in 1604, and dedicated
to James VI., and "The Anatomie of Humours,'*
printed at Edinburgh in 1609. Both were
reprinted in one volume as a Bannatyne Club
publication in 1830. Dempster mentions other
two books by Grahame — " Vale Femininis " and
" De Contemptu Mundi," but both have
perished. Grahame's life history is meagre.
Born in Edinburgh, son of a burgess, he attracted
the notice of the youthful king by a pleasing
exterior, and he obtained a cheap education at
the University, for the king defrayed the
expenses. Grahame became a fine scholar and
also a famous toper, and wandered over Europe
with an equal reputation for learning and de-
bauchery — asserted so by Sir T. Urquhart.
However, according to Dempster, he reformed
and became a monk, and probably then wrote
his " Farewell to Women '' and " Scorn of the
World." Like all new converts, anxious to
show his sincerity and to gain others to his way
of thinking, he resolved to revisit Scotland, but
died on the way at Carpentras (France) in 16 14.
Dempster is the sole authority for this state-
ment in his " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," 1627. Now, this notorious book was
a posthumous one, edited by an Italian named
Fabio Scoto (? Scots extraction), of Placentia,
and had not the benefit of the author's personal
revision, so it abounds with errors. I think that
1 61 9 is the date of the old libertine's decease,
because Lithgow, the famous Scottish traveller,
has this item in 1616 — "Touching at Rome, I
secretly borrowed one night's lodging there, and
at the break of day another hour's sight and
conference with my cousin, Simeon Grahame,
who, ere the sun arose, crossing Ponio Flamingo,
brought me on my journey, till a highway
tavern, like a jail, held us both fast, where,
leaving our reciprocal loves behind us, we divided
our bodies east and west." In plain language,
the traveller and the toper had a carousal
together. The old Adam was still in Simeon,
for he had notjjust then eschewed his former way
of living. I scarcely think it possible that
another S. G. was knocking about the Con-
tinent at that time, but I daresay when he was
fairly at low water in his finances he assumed the
cowl to escape starvation. His "Anatomie of
Humours" — a quaint title, which suggested to
Burton ** The Anatomy of Melancholy" — is
described by a modern English critic to be
worthless, but evidently this person never read
the book through, therefore his judgment is also
worthless. Of course, it would be too great a
sacrifice of principle to expect an Englishman
to write favourably on anything exclusively
Scotch. Nevertheless, and despite this splenetic
attack upon Simeon, he is an acute writer, a
severe censor, and an uncompromising moralist.
His book forms an excellent homily on the follies
of youth, written by one who had himself " gone
the giddy round." Lithgow slavishly copied
Grahame's fad of interweaving verse occasionally
with his prose, but the traveller's poetry is
execrable stuff. Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
Patrick Ged, M.D. —Admiral Byron, grand-
father of the celebrated poet, was a midshipman
on board the " Wager," man-of-war, one of
Lord Anson's squadron, which was wrecked on
the Patagonian coast in 1740. He wrote an
account of the wreck and the sufferings of the
survivors in their terrible march round to the
Spanish settlements. I quote from Byron's
narrative : —
When we got into San Jago we were sent into
the house where Captain Cheap and Mr. Hamilton
(both Scots) were. We found them extremely well
lodged at the house of a Scotch physician, whose
name was Don Patricio Ged. This gentleman had
been a long time in the city, and was greatly
esteemed by the Spaniards, as well tor abilities in
his profession as his humane disposition. He no
sooner heard that there were four English prisoners
arrived in that country than he waited upon the
President and begged that they might be lodged
at his house. This was granted; and had we been
his own brothers we could not have met with a
more friendly reception, and during two yean
that we were with him his constant study was to
make everything as agreeable to us as possible.
We were greatly distressed to think of the expense
he was at on our account, but it was in vain for
us to argue with him about it. In short, to sum
up his character in a few words, there never was
a man of more extensive humanity.
This is great praise to come from an English-
man, for it is seldom that any Scot gets credit at
the hands of English writers : they are ready
enough to stigmatise and impute unworthy
motives. I have read somewhere that Dr. Ged
was a brother of William Ged, of Edinburgh,
the inventor of stereotyping, who died in 1749.
Is that so? Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
Still Room (2nd S., VIII., 54).-r-If Mr.
Saunders will consult " Stormonth's English
Dictionary," he will find it gives the same mean-
ing as Dr. Milne. Ugieside.
VOL.VIIL 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
69
FORFARSHIRE AS A FACTOR IN
SCOTTISH LIFE AND THOUGHT.
(2nd S., VIII., pp, 17, 4l> 50.)
But though the county of Forfar played a
large part in the struggles which established the
Reformation in Scotland, it is perhaps more
striking and suggestive, considering the strongly
Presbyterian type of church leaders who at the
Reformation were produced in Angus in the
persons of Andrew and James Melville, as well
as David Ferguson and others similarly minded
—I say, it is perhaps more suggestive, in view
and in spite of that fact that perhaps no Scottish
county has produced more numerous or more
influential champions of Scottish Episcopacy.
My lists contain no fewer than 26 of such names.
It is true that few or none of them have stamped
their individuality on tlie memories of their
countrymen in the way that the Melvilles, the
Guthries, and the Wedderburns have done, and
that none of their theologians can compare for
a moment with such Presbyterians as James
Durham, or Andrew Gray, or William Guthrie
of Fenwick, an author of whom it is interesting
to know that the great Puritan divine, John
Owen, once averred that he regarded him as
one of the greatest divines who ever wrote ;
while, of his celebrated work, " The Trial of a
Saving Interest in Christ," he declared enthusias-
tically, "It is my vade mecum, and I carry it
and the Sedan New Testament still about with
me. I have written several folios, but there is
more divinity in it than in them all."
Another feature that has struck me in the
lists of Forfarshire spiritual leaders which I
have compiled is the extreme variety of religious
denominations there represented, and the con-
trasted types of character which they exhibit as
prevailing in this region. Thus, passing from
the 17th to the i8th century, emerging, that is
to say, from the period when, as I have shown,
the two opposing types of Church order re-
presented by Prelacy on the one hand, and
Presbyterian parity on the other, had equally
staunch supporters among the men of Angus,
I find that in the new age, sometimes called the
age of Moderatism, which dawned upon Scottish
church life in the 18th century, this same region
developed equally contrasted types of religious
life. Thus it produced, first of all, in John
Hepburn, of Urr, that irreconcilable foe of all
compromise with the Episcopal curates, who
became the leader and founder of what was
long known as the Cameronian or Reformed
Presbyterian Church, while contemporaneously,
as is well known, in the Angus parish of Tealing
the little Glassite sect was originated by John
Glas, the then parish minister. Then, again, in
! the beginning of the 19th century, in James
i Alexander Haldane and his brother Robert, the
i same shire produced the leaders of that notable
I spiritual revival which issued not only in the
founding of the Scottish Congregational Church,
but latterly also in a great development of the
Baptist denomination in Scotland, one of whose
leaders, the well-known Jonathan Watson, was
a native of Montrose. It may be adverted to
also in this connection that the redoubtable Dr.
John Campbell, editor of the British Banner^
and one of the mighty men of English Con-
gregationalism, was a son of Kirriemuir ere yet
that ancient Angus town had received its present
classic name of Thrums. I should not forget
also to notice here that in William Christie, of
Montrose, this county produced probably the
first of Scottish Socinians.
Let me further confess here that, as a former
United Presbyterian, I find it a litde disappoint-
ing that, in the dawn of the Secession Church,
Forfarshire produced few of the men who helped
to organise and promote that revolt against
ecclesiastical tyranny and theological coldness
and laxity. It is true that the Secession soon
had vigorous and thriving congregations in
Dundee and elsewhere in this shire, and that in
William MacEwen of Dundee, whose volume
on " The Types " had once a great vogue and is
still occasionally read, the Secession Church
produced even in the i8th century an author of
considerable repute and influence. Nevertheless
it is a fact, however it may be explained, that
neither the Secession Church nor its successor,
the late United Presbyterian Church, has drawn
from this shire so lai^e a proportion of its
leaders as we might reasonably have eicpected,
considering its size and populousness and the
general proneness of its people to liberal politics
whether civil or ecclesiastical. Thus, among
the Secession and United Presbyterian divines
of Angus birth, the most important names
known to me are those of Dr. David King, Dr.
Peter Davidson, Dr. William Ritchie, and Dr.
Andrew Henderson, all of them honoured to be
Moderators of the church which they served ;
while the last of them. Dr. Henderson, one of
the most accomplished and revered of all, sur-
vived to see the Union and to become one of
the ministers of the United Free Church.
The former Free Church, on the other hand,
was much more influentially represented in
Forfarshire. For, besides Dr. Alexander Whyte
of Free St. George's in her present ministry,
that church owed to this shire such great names
>o
scorns// NOTES and queries
[November, 1906
•V
in her past ministry as those of Thomas Guthrie,
William Chalmers Burns, and his brother Dr.
I slay Bums, Dr. Samuel Millar, of Glasgow ;
James Martin, of Edinburgh ; Professor George
Ramsay Davidson, of Aberdeen ; and Dr. John
Bruce, of Edinburgh, besides many others of
less note.
The Established Church has been not less
fortunate. For I have no fewer than 23 sons of
Angus on my tables who have rendered more
or less distinguished service to the national
Zion. And that these were many of them
creditable examples of the piety and genius of
the people of this shire may be inferred from
the fact that they include names so respectable
as those of Professor Mitchell of St. Andrews,
of Dr. John Gibson MacVicar of Moffat — one
of the profoundest philosophers of his church,
of Dr. Barty also, known as the last of the
Moderates, as well as the numerous scions of
those Angus ecclesiastical families of Trail and
Playfair who, during the i8th and early half
of the 19th centuries, adorned the pulpits of
the Established Church.
But Forfarshire has not confined its contribu-
tion of theological talent to the Scottish churches
alone. . The Wesleyan Methodists of England
owe to this shire Alexander Mather, one of the
f^rst and most powerful of Wesley's travelling
preachers, as well as David McNicoU, one of
the earliest and most valued of the theologians
of .that religious body. Moreover, in James
Skinner, Forfar contributed to the High Church
party in the Anglican Church one of the earliest
and .most advanced of those Catholicising
divines who originated the so-called Ritualistic
Movement. Finally, Barrie, the Forfarshire
novelist, as everjrbody knows, has made the
whole world famihar with the Auld Licht church
of Thrums in this shire ; and I am therefore
pleased to say that, in the person of the late
Dr. Wylie, of Edinburgh, the well-known anti-
Papal lecturer, and who, I may add here, was
in his early ministry pastor of the Auld Licht
church of Dollar, Forfar has produced a notable
example of the kind of man which that worthy
body of Scottish Christians is able to train and
develop.
Passing now to the more exclusively secular
side of the achievements of the men of Angus,
I may notice that the noble families of this
county — as represented by the Lindsays, the
Lyons, the Ogilvies, the Camegies, the Grahams,
the Ramsays, and the Maules— have played a
very conspicuous part in the whole course of our
history. Moreover, among the more important
of the unennobled county families, as well as
among the lesser gentry of the shire — repre-
sented by the names of Edgar, Erskine,
Bellenden, Fletcher, Hallyburton, Guthrie,
Kinloch, Scrymgeour, Wedderbum, Wood, and
Yeaman — not a few public servants of distinction
have appeared. No one familiar with Scottish
history needs to be told how prominent has
been the place taken at almost every crisis in our
national affairs as well as in the quieter periods
of our national development by men bearing the
names I have just rehearsed : and of these
leaders not a few were men of Forfarshire
birth. Relatively few, however, are aware of
the part played by the men of this county furth
of Scotland, and, therefore, I will briefly note
here before passing from this point, that in our
own generation Forfar has given to the Dominion
of Canada one of its active politicians in the
person of William Douglas Balfour; that in the
Honourable James Inglis and the Honourable
David Inglis, the Edzell Free Church Manse,
in this shire, has sent ofit two of its sons, one of
whom has gained distinction in India and the
other in Australia, in which latter colony the late
Sir Wm. A. Ogg, of Arbroath, as well as the
three journalist brothers — George, £benezer,and
David Syme, of Montrose — have also played a
conspicuous part. To India, in addition to the
names already mentioned, Forfarshire has also
sent in our own generation a man so notable as
the late Sir Henry Ramsay, K.C.S.I., a most
skilful, administrative statesman, who, for the
success of his gubernatorial work, was popularly
known in the north of India as the *" King of
Kumaon." Along with him we may also men-
tion John Ingles Harvey, from Kinnettles, an
Indian Judge, and Generals Henry Renny,
C.S.I., and David Scott Hodgson, two British
officers who fought bravely in the Mutiny ;
Sir James Westland, for some time the Indian
Chancellor of the Exchequer ; David Robert
Lyall, C.S.I., Superintendent of Behar, as well
as Sir James Lyle Mac Kay, the merchant
diplomatist, hailing from Arbroath, who, besides
acting as member of the Legislative Council of
India, gained great reputation by the success of
his negotiations in regard to the latest com-
mercial treaty with China. It is interesting to
notice here, that this same town of Arbroath —
which, as we have seen, was the birthplace of the
successful Indian merchant diplomat Sir James
MacKay — has also supplied the United States
of America with a soldier, in General Thomas
Moonlight, who has also won distinction as a
statesman as the Governor of Wyoming. Nor
should 1 forget to name in this connection the late
Sir John Kirk, in whom the manse of Barry has
given to the Diplomatic and Consular Service in
East Africa one of its most useful members.
Vol VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
71
Were I to turn your gaze backward, however,
to the age before our own, I could show you an
equally good record of the services rendered
both at home and abroad by Forfarshire men
as politicians and statesmen. But I can only
briefly allude to the work of one or two of the
more distinguished, and, therefore, I merely
recall to my reader's mmd the fact that the late
Riffht Hon. Edward Baxter and Sir George
B^four, as well as his uncle Joseph Hume, all
three prominent Liberal politicians, were each of
them sons of Angus. So, of course, also were
Sir Alexander Burnes, of Afghan fame ; Fox
Maule, Earl of Dalhousie, the well-known
Liberal statesman ; Jonathan Duncan, once
Governor of Bombay; and William Lyon
Mackenzie, the leader of the Canadian rebels in
the movement which led to the emancipation of
that colony — and ultimately of all our larger
colonies — from the bondage of Downing Street
control. Were it necessary, I could go on in-
definitely adding to these names, but I must
here call a halt, merely remarking that I have
ahready supplied sufficient evidence to prove
how wide is the sphere in which the men of
Angus have exercised their talents for the advan-
tage of the world.
W. B. R. W.
To be continued.
Anthony Dunlop.— Youngest son of the
celebrated Mrs. Dunlop, whose published corre-
spondence with Burns created such a literary sen-
sation in 1898. Went to sea when only thirteen
years of age, and spent the best part of his life
in India and China. An elder brother, James,
had a high military command in India ; but not
much is known of Anthony's career, except that
he was of a roving disposition. At length he
returned to Scotland in 1828, somewhat stricken
in years, impaired in health, and impoverished
in fortune. He lodged in a hotel in Edinburgh,
and on the recurrence of a malady from which
he had suffered in the far East he rashly
suicided. He was buried in the North Calton
Cemetery, just outside the Laing mausoleum,
and there is a flat stone, partly broken and level
with the grass, over his remains, but with his
name legibly cut thereon — "Anthony Dunlop,
son of John Dunlop of Dunlop, died 29th June,
1828, aged 60." I happened to mention this
"And" recendy to the custodian of the Bums
Museum in the Edinburgh Council Chambers,
and he was somewhat incredulous, as he had
not observed it when sauntering that way ; but
** facts are chieFs that winna ding " — the stone is
there and speaks for itself. His sister, the
youngest of the family — the " bloomin' Keith" of
Burns' verse — died unmarried at Ayr about
1842, and was buried in Alloway Kirkyard, where
there is a stone to her memory, resting against
the outer wall of " the auld biggin'." I saw it
there in 1863. Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
Gift to Burns* Daughter. — Burnsites
may be glad to have the following item of
interest preserved in our columns. It appeared
in the Aberdeen Journal^ 15th February, i860 :—
"It appears that £261 13s. gd. is the amount
raised for Mrs. Thomson, of Pollokshaws,
daughter of Burns. Part of this money has
been invested in a small property, which will
yield a yearly income of ;^2o to Mrs. Thomson
as long as she lives, with the reversion to her
family. In addition to this settlement, the old
lady has received £s^ ^^ cash."
Robert Murdoch.
D. M. Peter (2nd S.,VII., 142, 157).— While
thanking those gentlemen who have replied to
my query anent this forgotten worthy, I venture
to suggest, with some timidity, that they are
overlooking my principal inquiry, viz., the date
of his death. We have evidence of his living
till 1882, and ten years after he is alluded to as
"the late." There should be persons living
about Dundee cognisant of the fact. Mr. W.
Norrie "ocht to ken a' aboot it." In looking
over an old scrap-book which I filled during the
fifties, 1 found an excellent imitation of the
antique ballad entitled "The Rose-a-Lyndsaye,"
and in a prefatory note by the editor of the
magazine it was stated to be written by " Mr.
D. Macgregor Peter, teacher of dancings Kirrie-
muir, a gentleman who possesses considerable
poetic abilities as well as antiquarian learning
and research." He might have taught J. M.
Barrie. I have also heard that he was origmally
a weaver, but I am groping in the dark.
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
Forfarshire, etc. — It is very kind of the
writer of these excellent articles to speak so
highly of my book, " The Bards of Angus and
the Mearns." But why has he made such a
muddle of my name and habitation ? On p. 44
he dubs me " Mr. Reid of Dundee," and on
p. 50 he speaks of ** Mr. Stuart Reid's compre-
hensive and carefully compiled anthology." Of
course, " a rose by any name," etc., but to avoid
confusion, it is well to remind my "brither"
scribe that, though I have often appeared in
print as " Stuart Bell," his references apply not
to "Stuart Reid of Dundee" but to
Edinburgh. Alan Reid.
72
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES [November, 1906
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EDINBURGH
PERIODICAL LITERATURE (V., 20, etc.)
(Continued from 2nd S., Vol, VIII., p. 35,)
[Supplementary. ]
1720. The Caledonieui Mercury : being a short
account of the most considerable News Foreign
and Domestick, and of the latest Books and
Pamphlets imported from Abroad and Printed
here. No. i. Thursday, April 28, 1720. 6 pp.
folio, price i^d., three times weekly. Edinburgh:
printed for W.^R. by William Adams, Junior, and
are to be sold at the sign of the Printing Press in
the Parliament Close, where advertisements are
to be taken in. In No. 2 " W. R." is expanded
into **W. Rolland," who was a member of the
legal profession. In No. 3 the imprint adds after
the words "Parliament Close": "and at the
Printing House in Carubbers Close, on the west
side of the Bishop's Land. At both places ad-
vertisements and inscriptions are taken in." The
first fortv-five numbers were embellished with a
cut of the Scottish arms, which in No. 46 and
onwards gave place to a crude flowered initial
letter — a somewhat peculiar allegorical design
with two figures, one Mercury and the other pro-
bably Scotia. Thistles sprouted in numbers
around, and a shield with the Scottish lion oc-
cupied one of the corners.*
The front page of No. i was occupied with the
following address, which was repeated in No. 2 : —
" For the satiflfaction of the Readers, the authors of
this Paper do in a few words inform them That they
may expect fh it a full, faitiiful, and impartial account
of the News taken from the English and Foreign
Prints, and also from the LeMers wntten to them from
their Ck)rreBpondents. Particular care will be taken
to insert Memoiials, Speeches, and any other Papers
that are valuable and worth the preserving. And the
account of the new books will be done with all imagin-
able Impartiality.
This paper will be published thrice every week in a
few hours after the Arrival of the Poet Such as sub-
scribe for a Year's Papers shall have them delivered in
as soon as published to any House in Edinburgh or the
Huburbs appointed by the Subscribers, they paying
yearly 15sh., of which 3sh. and 9d. to be paid at the
Beginning of each quarter."
The second and third pages of the first number
appeared in somewhat larger type than came to
be the rule. Like its contemporaries, the contents
of the Mercury for long years were nothing but
* " It is curious to notice that in his initiatorv number of
April, 1720, BoUand claimed a rigbt to identify his Mercury
with that of 1660. This journal, he said in his preface to the
Eublic, 'is the oldestTezisting] in Great Britain.' "— "Encycl.
Irit", XVII., 422. The portion of the article " Newspapers "
in the "Encycl. Brit." relating to Scotland is practically
worUiless. The foregoing statement is an example of its
unreliabilitv. No. 1 of uie Caledonian Mercury makes no
reference whatever to the Mercuriui Caledonitu of 1660, and
does not contain the sentence quoted. The references to
the Mercury in Orant's " Newspaper Press" present a curious
jumble. Statements have a century added to their date of
origin without compunction.
excerpts from the London journals — in this case
the London Gasette, Evening Post, Wye's Letters,
St, yames Evening Post, etc. Little or no pro-
vision was made for local news. The Brst local
paragraph appeared in No. 9, and had reference
to the apparently trivial fact that two sons of an
English duke had arrived in Edinburgh "with a
good equipage." In the first 78 numbers not
more than half-a-dozen similar ineffective notes
occurred. The opening advertisement — that of
an enterprising wood turner — appeared in No. 12
(May 24, 1720), but advertisements increased until
in No. 2o a page was devoted to them. The
promise of reviews of books was meagrely fulfilled.
Two works sufficed for nearly the first twelve
numbers.
■ Adams printed the first 589 numbers, and then,
on January 13, 1824, the work passed to a firm
that made itself famous during the course of the
century. The imprint became ** Edinburgh :
printed for Mr. William Rolland by Mr. Thomas
Ruddiman, at his Printing House in Morocco's
Close, the 4th story of the turnpike near the foot
thereof, opposite to the head of Libertoun's Wynd
in the Lawnmarket." The heraldic device gave
way to a fancy ornament ; the typography was
improved, and a promise was made that the
paper would be published earlier in the day. The
cause of the change of printer may perhaps be
discovered from an advertisement which ran in a
few numbers from July 23, 1724 : —
"Mr. Rolland, the author of this pa|>er, being ad-
judged by the Right Honourable the Karons of Sx-
cbequer in a certain sum of money on account of the
duty by Act of Parliament upon his newspaper, besides
£20 sterling of costs, and for which ne has been
incarcerated these six months by past, wherefore 'Us
hoped all gentlemen and others, who get said news-
paper, will forthwith send in what they are resting
for the same in order to the author's liberation."
By October Rolland was set free, but his wrath
was by no means abated against those who were
defaulters with their subscriptions. On the 30th
of that month a notice appears demanding " their
bygone rests "
"witli certiflcatiou that they who thus continue in
arrear shall not only have their paper stopt, but be
rigorously prosecute for what they owe : Uie author
designing to play the Fool no longer."
In a short time the name of Mr. Alexander
Symmers in the Parliament Close was added to
the imprint as selling the Mercury , and the size
of the paper was reduced to 4 pp. 4to with double
columns — ill printed and on inferior paper.
Rolland died in March, 1729, and with No. 1,396
the journal passed into the proprietorship of the
Ruddiman family : ** Edinburgh : printed for and
by Thomas and Walter Ruddiman, and sold at
the shop of Alexander Symmers in the Parliament
Close." In May, 1736, a deed of co-partnery was
signed by Thomas and Walter Ruddiman and
James Grant. Grant undertook to collect the
foreign and domestic news, to see the paper
through the press, and to publish it — i.e., became
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
73
the editor, with a circulation of 1,400 per week.
The agreement was to hold good till April 17,
1746.
The Jacobite Rebellion of the '45 brought much
trouble to the Mercury. On September 2, 1745,
the editor admitted the following innocent-looking
paragraph concerning the Duke of Athole : —
*' His grace arrived here yettemijdit, having received
a letter from his elder brother (who was attainted in
the 1715) advising that he was coming to take up his
quarters at the Ca8tle*of Blair."
A terrible suggestion of disloyalty lurked in the
words, and Athole lodged a complaint against
Ruddiman. He was tried, convicted, fined £^
and 48 hours' imprisonment, or until payment was
made, and in addition had to publish an apology
for the paragraph as " false, scandalous, and
injurious." On November i of the same year
Grant renounced his part in the business, and, as
Chalmers, the biographer of Ruddiman, says,
''sacrificing his prudence to his zeal, joined the
insurgents, and finally found his safety in France. "
The paper shared the opinions of its ex-editor,
and was, as Robert Chambers points out, an
"enthusiastic Jacobite." It had, however, a
certain degree of prudence, and while fully
chronicling the doings of the rebels, succeeded in
keeping itself free of legal entanglements with the
Government. From Monday, September 23 (No.
3,892), to Monday, November 18 (No. 3,916), the
journal appeared anonymously, a course adopted
no doubt to propitiate the Pretender at Holyrood
and to avoid unpleasant consequences from the
Government for any indiscretion. At the same
time it escaped the paper tax, as the Stamp Office
had taken refuge in the Castle.
It has been a moot point whether the Mercury
actually was more active on the rebels' side. It
has been asserted that Grant carried off a press
with him, and that he virtually became the Prince's
printer. In the number for January 10, 1746,
appeared this paragraph: —
"The rebels carried oif Irom Glasgow a printing press,
types, and other materials for that business, together
with some servants to work in that way. When they
carried off these materials they did it in this manner,
that is, from one thev took a press, from another some
typMf And from a third chases, farnltnre, etc."
Mr. W. B. Blaikie, in a paper read before the
Edinburgh Bibliographical Society, discussed this
point, and concluded that for some purpose or
other the paragraph was inserted as a blind, and
that Grant did not work an itinerant press. There
can be no doubt, however, that Government
looked with suspicion on the paper. Thomas
Ruddiman, younger, who had succeeded Grant as
manager (or editor), admitted a paragraph which
fave umbrage to the powers, and he was seized
)ecember, 1746, and thrown into prison, where
he remained for several weeks. He ultimately
died September 9, 1747, from the effects of the
imprisonment It is interesting to learn that,
although the Mercury thus supported the Pre-
tender, it
"had on its subscribers' list the names of all the
Qeorges of the British Throne— George IV., the last of
our royal Readers, like a faithful Prince sending to
our publisher, who admits that he had to 'dun his
Majesty on the occasion of his visit to Edinburgh, an
order for £20, the amount of several years' arrears."
Sir Walter Scott makes a curious mistake in
" Waverley." At the end of Chapter 24 he speaks
of the Caledonian Mercury as being '*the only
paper then published north of the Tweed " (at the
time of the 45). He forgot the Courant, which
was particularly vigorous when he wrote. His
sentence, however, was too good to be lost as a
catching advertisement, and in the concluding
days of the Mercury it appeared in all its in-
accuracy as a motto above the leaders.
As was to be expected, the imprints of the
Mercury reflected the various changes that were
made in the proprietary firm.* On March 17,
1748, it was 'Sprinted for Thomas and Walter
Ruddiman." The first number for 1753 contained
the notice :
"We take this opportunity of wishing our Keaders the
compliments of the season. Our appearance in this
new shape would have taken place with the New Stile,
had we not been under a necessity of postponing it
in condescension to the Stamp Omce, which had a
(luantlty of their former paper on hamL What
naturally led us tr> this enlargement was a grateful
regard to our Readers "—
which regard grew out of a large increase of ad-
vertisements. In May, 1772, the Mercury passed
out of the hands of the Ruddimans, when
"It was sold by tlie Trustees of Ruddiman 's grand-
children with the printing house and printing materials
to Bir. John Robertson, a printer of sufficient learning
and opulent circumstances."— Chalmers' "l^ife of
Ruddiman," p. 124.
The issue for May 16, 1772, contained a notice of
this transaction from the trustees. Among other
things it said :
" As Mr. Robertson has dealt by us with openness and
candour in the course of this transaction, nnd is to
continue the business in the same house and the pub-
lication of the Caledonian Mercury in the same way,
we presume to recommend him in the most earnest
manner to all the friends and well wishers of the
memory of Thomas and Walter Ruddiman."
In 1776 Robertson made an interesting experi-
ment. He had been advised to attempt a daily
issue of the Mercury. The cautious publisher,
however, did not wish to risk the prosperity of
his journal, and determined to send out a supple-
mentary paper which would appear on the days
on which the Mercury was not published. Accord-
ingly, on May 31, 1776, the Caledonian Gazetteer
(see below) was begun. It lasted for the suggestive
thirteen numbers only, and then Robertson, ap-
parently satisfied with the results, dropped the
Gazetteer (June 27), and published the Mercury
on five days of the week. Thursday was omitted,
because no post arrived on that day from London,
"the great source of intelligence at present"
The arrangement, however, came to an end on
August 31, as the cost was '* insufficient to in-
demnify " the publisher, even although
74
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[November, 1900
"during the existence uf thia imper rthe Gazetteer]^
the pobilsher had erery reason to expect that a daily
paper, or at least one published five times a week,
might be attended with singular advantages to the
city."
The cause of the failure was twofold. Communi-
cation by post with the rest of Scotland was
mostly restricted to three days a week, and the
Government inopportunely determined to increase
the newspaper tax. On September 2, accordingly,
the Mercury reverted to its tri-weekly appearance —
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the price being
3d.
26 Circus Drive, W. J. Couper.
Glasgow.
To be continued.
Scotch Church, Erfurt (2nd S.,VII., 139,
172). — Mr. P. J. Anderson is right. The article
on "Scottish Religious Houses Abroad" ap-
peared in the Edinburgh Reinew for January,
1864, and was written by the Rev. A. Penrose
Forbes, Bishop of Brechin (ob, 1875). What
misled me was an article contributed to the
Quarterly Review in 1849 by Joseph Robertson
on " Scottish Abbeys and Cathedrals." I mixed
them up, and am thankful that Mr. Anderson
let me down so lightly, for he could have "brass-
nailed'' me (to use an Australianism) further if
he had liked so to do. I trusted to my memory,
which is generally tenacious ; but last week I
referred to my MS. notebooks, and there I
found the extracts I had made some twenty
years ago, and also that Bishop Forbes was the
writer, although his name is not appended to
the article in Question. Bishop Forbes based
his account of that Erfurt monastery on a
manuscript of an eminent litterateur, the late
James Dennistoun (ob. February, 1855), entitled
"The Scots Monasteries in Germany." I learned
from it that the Scotch Church at Erfurt was
originally a monastery founded a.d. 1036 by
Gualterus de (ilisberg, Marshal of the Empire.
The warrior effigy I saw in the church was that
of its founder. The little chapel had been in
existence for 866 years, but although this seems
an extraordinary age for an obscure place of
worship, I saw at Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen in
Cjerman maps) their Miinsterkirche or Cathedral,
which is over a thousand years old. That
mighty potentate, Charlemagne, who died a.d.
814, founded this edifice, and is buried in the
central passage of the church under a large blue
stone (about 12 ft. by 8 ft.), with deep-cut
grooves round its sides, and " Carolo Magno " in
big letters in the centre. It seems that this
particular monastery at Erfurt was obtained for
the use of Scottish Catholics through the exer-
tions of Bishop Lesley in IS78. He was an
ardent supporter of Queen Mary Stuart and an
able diplomatist on her behalf, and likewise a
personal friend of Pope Gregory XIII. That
pontiff interceded with the Emperor Rudolph
II., who thereupon granted the old monastery
for the education of young Scottish Catholics.
It was placed under the superintendence of
Ninian Winzet, Abbot of St. James's Monastery,
Ratisbon, well known to the literary antiquary
as an able antagonist of John Knox. Winzet
filled it originally with Catholic refugees from
Scotland, but latterly it was made a seminary.
As I dearly love accuracy myself, I have here-
with made ample confession, and now I crave
plenary absolution from Mr. Anderson ; and,
furthermore, request from him the date when
John Harvey, author of " The Bruciad,'' secured
his degree of M.A. from King's College, Old
.-Xberdeen, say, from 171 8 to 1726. (See S. N.
and Q. for August, 1905.) I am sorely handi-
capped here, not having access to proper books
of reference. Ai.ba.
Melbourne, Australia.
" P.\TR10TISM " IN 1778.— It is very difficult
to kill the tradition that the Scot in the latter
half of the i8th century simply leapt to arms
without much trouble. The amount of bounties
and the large number of desertions show this
not to have been the case. The professional
recruiter, moreover, was in vogue, as this adver-
tisement in the Aberdeen Journal oi December 7,
1778, goes to show : —
Whereas a speedy supply of able recruits are often
wanted in the established regiments, new raised
regiments, and corps of Fencible men, a gentleman,
resident in London, who has served in the army
. a number oi years with reputation, and who is
at this period employed under the Secy, at [iiV]
War in recruiting, undertakes in the most expe-
ditious manner, directly or indirectly, to raise any
number of able men for His Majesty's service on
the most reasonable term. Address for A B, to
be left at Ashley's Punch House, Ludgate Hill,
London.
A JOUFNEY FROM EDINBURGH TO LONDON
IN 1757.— Sir John Gordon of Invergordon
travelled from Edinburgh to London in
September, 1757, with one two- wheeled and
one four-wheeled postchaise, performing the
journey of 389 miles in 57 hours and at a cost
of £37 OS. 3d. The 57 hours, of course, were
not consecutive, for he started on September 16
and reached London on September 29. The
turnpike charges were £2 3s. iid.
Vol. VII L 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
75
MACPHERSON LETTERS.— III.
(2nd S„ VII., p. 167; VI II., p, 2.)
The late Mr. Charles Fraser-Mackintosh,
M.P., F.S. A.Scot, in his "Letters of Two
Centuries " (p. 2 1 2), wrote of Ewan Macpherson, ,
younger of Cluny, that he " had a good know-
ledge of business, as is shown by his letters, and
did not disdain to add to his ificome by acting as
Captain of a ivatck^^ and quoted the following
in support of the latter statement :—
Forres June 15**' 1745
Received from Sir Robert Gordon of Gordon-
stoun, the sum of ;f 4. 16 3d sterling, and that as
his whole proportion of the watch money paid to
Ewen Macpherson of Cluny, at the rate of half-a-
crown out of the hundred pound of his valued rent
to me. (signed) John Duff Junr.
It is surprising that on such slender evidence
Mr. Fraser-Mackintosh should have been led to
make the assertion as above. The position of
Captain of the "Watch," was one of great
distinction and responsibility, and Cluny's elec-
tion thereto seems to have been but a tribute
paid to him by the country gentlemen interested,
and involving Cluny in considerable pecuniary
loss.
It is hardly possible to believe that an author
and antiquarian of Mr. Eraser- Mackintosh's
reputation was not acquainted with the " Brief
Account" of the "Watch" printed in "The
Miscellany of the Spalding Club" (ii., 87-9),
which clearly indicates the losses occasioned to
Cluny, and confirmation of which will be found
in the following copy letter addressed to
Robert Grant of Tammore : —
D' Sir
I remmcmber you wrote me Some time agoe
desireing accquaint you if Clunny was to Continue
his watch this year, to which I gave a return, That
as the neighbouring Countrys did not Join to Support
the Charge, that he was Considerably out of pockett
at least 150 peices, yet as his honnest Intentions and
good performance was so Generally known, that
though his pockett Suffered, His Charachter gaind,
I think. I Suggested that there was non more
Cappable to Signify these to the neighbouring
Countrys about you, than yourself, And particularly
and principally that you Should Suggesst it Seriously
to the Laird of Grant. I need not inform you what
poor situation the Highlands are in this year which
will turn out to be the most dangerous wee have
Seen in our day ; There has been Eleven men full
armd Seen goeing down throw our hills the north
Side of Spey on the water of DhuUan ; which made
Severalls of the Country Gentlemen meett here
yesterday, but could come to no Safe resolution of a
protection, without Clunnys undertakeing as last
year, which Could not be proposd, being without a
fund to Support, he would not undertake nor could
he be desired, though he exerted his part last year
to Such Satisfaction, he could not Continue to bear
Such loss : I doe think it hard, that the want of
Consideration makes the very neighbouring Countrys
not understand one ane other in ane affair that tends
So much to their mutual Interest, And when nothing
of their Subject is Sav'd but that rather their Interest
Sufferrs by their not Joining: Their haveing Separate
watches, will allwise Some (?) oppen passes to
theives, whereas if they Joind in ane Generall
method, it would turn out to both their Charachter
and Interest, and when the Same Charge would
answer to better purpose, and in a few years would
extirpate theiving entirely, when in that event the
country would be free of any Charge, I doe think it ane
infatuation that neighbouring bordering Countrys
Should not understand one aneother ; I doe not
enlairge for haveing Clunny to be the person
Generally Emplo^d, The Severall Countrys are best
Judges of Chusemg a fitt undertaker ; This Country
will allwise be readdy to contribute their proportion
to any man whom the majority of voices of the
Severall Countrys will be pleasd to Employ ; I forgott
to Inform you that wee need expect No assisstance of
protection from the new raisd Companys this year,
as I was lately in Company with Some of their
officers who told publickly that they were not to be
depended uppon this year, as they were to be
employd in recruitting and dessctplineing the men.
I hade it likewise from the Lo/: President last week,
(after laying the Situation of the Highlands before
him), That the Countrys Should take Care of them-
selves this year, and hade much to the Same purpose
from the Generall :
Have Sent you this express of purpose, That as
the Country in Generall nave a Just Sentiment of
your good and honnest inclinations of adviseing
what is for the Generall Good, youl be pleasd either
See the Laird of Grant or write him fully on this
Subject, which I know you Can lay before him in a
Clearer light than I Can express ; When I told the
Country Gentlemen That you and I Corresponded on
this Subject foremerly, it was at their desire that this
is now Sent you.
The bearer goes with a letter to Bailly Hamilton
uppon Some affairs relating to our new ffactor
Mr. Hamilton the Dukes Gentleman, from whom I
hade a letter Sunday last from London.
I have hintd a litle to Bailly Hamilton of the
Gentlemens meetting yesterday, Concerning the
Countrys protection ; which I told him should be
laid before His Grace whose Intrest was much
concernd ; The express is to Call in his return, and
to wait till you be in condition to understand the
Laird of Grants mind.
I hope my last Came to hand which desired you
Secure my meall and prone ; with my dutiful! Com-
76
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES [November, 1906
pliments to you and my Landlady and to William
when you See or write htm is all now from
Dr Sir
Your own &c.
John Mcpherson
Ruthven May 2«*
1745
The writer of the above letter was presumably
John Macpherson of Inverhall, who held the
position of barrack- master at Ruthven in
Badenoch, and was the representative of the
ancient family of Invereshie. He was the son
of Thomas Macpherson by his wife, Elizabeth,
daughter of John Grant of Culquoich in the
parish of Inveravon. Thomas is stated to have
been the son of William Dow Macpherson (a
younifcr brother of Sir ^neas Macpherson,
Sheriff of Aberdeen), by his wife, Janet, daughter
of Alexander Mackintosh of Kinrara.
The following copy letter serves to illustrate
the difficulty experienced in collecting the
expenses of the " Watch " : —
D' Sir
I have yours and have Sent you p the bearer
Four pound Sterling which is a little more than I
have got in of the watch money Since Cluny was
here for which Send me Mr. Mcpherson's Recept and
desire him tell Cluny y^ I shall be as active as
fossible in Collecting the Ballance of that money.
Saw Mr. Gordon the Duke's Factor here fourteen
days ago who told me he could not pay any part of
the Duke's proportion of the watch money untill he
had orders from the Duke and I have wrote to all
the Rest to Send in their proportions with all Con-
venient Speed and many in Consequence of my
writing have promised to pay in a very little time.
When any money worth Sending comes in I Shall
Acquaint Cluny of it that he may Send for it
and am
D' Sir
Your Most Humble Ser^
John Duff Jun
Elgin July 9^»»
1745.
The writer of the above letter was no doubt
the same person as John Duff, a copy of whose
receipt appears above as quoted by Mr. Fraser-
Mackintosh. H. D. McW.
Alexander Whitelaw.— I cherish a warm
rep^ard for the memory of this graceful, fair-
minded, and judicious critic, inasmuch that the
books which he edited were the favourite
reading of my boyhood, and have not been
supplanted since. I refer to the "Book of
Scottish Song,'' '*Book of Scottish Ballads,'*
" Casquet of Literary Gems," four volumes, and
"Republic of Letters," also four volumes. His
biography is a neglected one. What I know of
it is simply an outline, which others may fill up
out of their greater knowledge. He was born
in Glasgow in 1803, and his first or rudimentary
occupation (a most congenial one, I should
imagine) was that of an assistant to Dr. Robert
Watt in the compilation of the "Bibliotheca
Britannica," having as comrades on the job
William Motherwell and Philip Ramsay, both
subsequently distinguished in letters. Whitelaw
soon got into notice as a writer of reviews,
essays, sketches, and poems, and was freely
recognised as a man of fine taste and discrimina-
tion. He was secured by Messrs. Blackie, pub-
lishers, Glasgow, as the editor of those handsome
books I have already specified, which for beauti-
ful printing, fine engravings, and careful selec-
tion and editing have rarely been excelled. I
have not the correct dates of publication, but I
think the "Casquet" appeared in 1832; the
"Republic of Letters" in 1835, inscribed to the
Rev. Thomas Brydson, a poetical friend ; "Book
of Scottish Song" in 1843; and the " Ballads "
in 1845. ^11 those publications contained
original contributions by himself and associates.
He died in 1846 only 43 years old. His death
was a positive loss to our national literature.
There is a portrait of Whitelaw painted by Mr.
A. Blair, which Messrs. Blackie would do well to
have engraved and prefixed to any new edition
of the books that Whitelaw so ably conducted.
Melbourne, Australia.
Alba.
"Out of the Mouth of Babes."— My little |
chap, eight years of age, has noticed his father's j
devotion to Scottish Notes and Queries, The >
word " queries " is unusual to his vocabulary, >
and be once referred to the paper as ^''Scottish
Notes and Quarries^ and on another occasion
as ^^ Scottish Notes and QuarreisJ^ Truth some- ,
times takes queer disguises !
Proud Parent. .
A Laundry Bill of the i8th Century.—
In Sir John Gordon's diary (MS.), now in
the possession of Mr. Andrew Ross, Ross
Herald^ appears the following prices, charged at
Edinburgh (about 1757) for " washing linen" : —
For ruffled shirt, including cravat and
handkerchief, 3d.
For ditto, plain, 2d.
For a white waistcoat, if to be calendered, 2d.
For ditto, if only to be smoothed, • . id.
For a night-gown, 6d.
For each shaving cloth, . . . . id.
For each pair of stockings, . . . id.
For each night-cap, ^d.
For each towel, |d.
Vol VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
77
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF^ MONTROSE
PERIODICAL LITERATURE.
1 87 5. IValker^s Kincardineshire A Imanacfor
1875 (I St S., III., 58).— In Mr. A. W. Robertson's
Handlist, published 1893, I notice a query at-
tached to the date of this publication which the
compiler may now delete. Messrs. Low do not
mention in their interesting bibliography that in
1879 the above almanac bore the title of The
Kincardineshire Household Almanac, This in-
formation is drawn from the front page of a scarce
pamphlet entitled "The Story of | Saint Palladius
I and I His Chapel at Fordoun | Montrose : |
Printed and Published by George Walker, High
Street | 1879," t^ Pp-? covers additional, which
originally appeared in the 1879 issue and latterly
was reprinted with additions the same year.
Mr. George Walker was a bookseller and
publisher of distinction in the town of Montrose.
Amongst the advertisements inserted in the
pamphlet referred to, the following one appears,
which now makes interesting reading. It runs
thus : " George Walker, Bookseller, Montrose,
having secured a portion of the French bloop-of-
War sunk in the Montrose Harbour when land-
ing troops for * Prince Charlie ' in November,
1745, begs to intimate that he is having the same
manufactured into a variety of useful and orna-
mental articles at prices ranging from sixpence
upwards."
Mr. Walker's imprint, it may be be mentioned,
appeared on several brochures of local character,
and had, as pointed out by Messrs. Low, who
made special reference to his death at the age of
fifty-eight in 1889 ( i st S., III., 75), a very intimate
acquaintance with the subject of them.
Robert Murdoch.
The Northern P'encibles.-— Reference to
the Aberdeen Journal files discloses some more
facts about this regiment, which was raised by
the fourth Duke of Gordon. On Sunday,
July 15, 1 75 1, a mutiny broke out, and on
August 3-4, John Eraser and William Kennedy
were court-martialled thereanent— the Duke of
Gordon presiding. The result does not tran-
spire. Among the desertions are those of : —
Mclntyre, aged 30 ; 5 ft. 9 : born at
Kingussie, [jfournalf March 8, 1779. )
John Cosse, aged 24 : born at Kincardine, Inver-
ness-shire, (jfoumalt July 29, 1782.)
Euan McPhie, aged 33 : born at Kilmalte. {Ibid. )
The regiment is variously designated : thus —
''Northern Fencible Highlanders," "Northern
Fencible Regiment," ** North Fencibles.''
dHueried.
78a. Byron and the Plain of Marathon. —
The Aberdeen journal of November 28, i860, p. 6,
is responsible tor the following: — ** Interesting Sale.
— The Forest of Soignies, through which Welling-
ton's men marched to Waterloo, is in the market."
B3Ton was once about to purchase the Plain of
Marathon. Query: When?
Robert Murdoch.
783. Sir Jambs Horn Burnett's Challenor
Bugle. — In the dining-room of the Balcarres Hotel,
Echt (Mr. G. H. Smythe, proprietor), there is de-
posited for preservation a silver bugle bearing the
following inscription : — '* Presented | to the | Kin-
cardineshire Administrative Battalion | of | Rifle
Volunteers | by | Sir James Horn Burnett of Leys,
Bart., I Lord Lieutenant of the County. | 20th
August, I 1864. I Challenge Bugle." Will a sub-
scriber tell me whether the above battalion merged
into the Gordon Highlanders Volunteers? I presume
there is a history connected with the bugle. U so,
particulars will be heartily welcomed.
Robert Murdoch.
784. Rhyme on Snupf.— The undernoted rhyme
was taken down from the lips of an old lady who
passed away recently. It possesses little or no
merit, and looks like a modem production : —
Qod blest that benefit which we call gnoff,
For before meat and after meat it it the real ituff ;
It clean the eyes and quickens the senses,
And does a great deal of good with little expenses.
Has it been in print elsewhere ?
Robert Murdoch.
785. Levden's Poems.— It strikes me forcibly
that the second line in both versions of the '* Sabbath
Morning Sonnet," given on p. 60, shows a false, a
redundant quantity, and that the word ** all '* is an
interpolation that destroys the balance of the line.
Readers can easily determine this by a trial of'* both
ways." One is curiously eager to know if the false
quantity actually appeared in Leyden's manuscript.
Perhaps Mr. Sinton will say.
Alan Reid.
786. ** Rosy-fingered Morn." — On p. 6 of the
present volume, '*Alba" discourses with his usual
felicity on this poetic expression. It occurs to me
to mention that still another instance of its use is
found in Spofforth's glee, "Hail, Smiling Morn,"
the words of \^diich read :
Hail ! Smiling mom, that tips the hills with gold,
Whose rosy fingers ope the gates of day ;
Who the gay face of Nature doth unfold,
At whose bright presence darkness flies away.
I cannot name the author, nor can I find the quota-
tion though I have often tried. Perhaps some reader
may direct me to its source ? Alan Reid.
78
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[November, 1906
787. A "Scots Review" of 1774. — A publica-
tion of this name was issued in Edinburgh in the
above year, and I am anxious to discover if it was
a periodical. Writing of it, David Hume asked a
friend if he had seen *'the specimen of a Scotch
review." The Scot\ Magazitu said that *' it pro-
fesses to give a prospectus and a specimen of an
intended review." Hill Burton, however, refers to
it as '* this thin, duodecimo pamphlet." Everything
points to its being Ajeu d^esprit in the form of the
first number of a periodical, but perhaps someone
may be able to say definitely, and indicate where a
copy may be examined. W. J. C.
788. The Murder op Two Sons op Gordon
OP Ellon (2nd S., VIII., 53). — In this paragraph
Dr. Milne gives an account of events which took
place on April 28, 17 17, and on May i, 17 17, and
adds : '* The proceedings are related in the Edin-
burgh Courant of the time.*' I would be greatly
obliged if Dr. Milne would be more explicit in his
reference to the newspaper, as I have reason to
believe that no Conrant was issued at that date.
The last issue of the Edinburgh Conrant I have been
able to trace and examine is dated March, 17 10, and
the Edinburgh Evening Courant, usually spoken of
shortly as the Edinburgh Courant, did not begin its
career till December 15, 171 8. It would be a great
point gained if it can be shown that the paper
existed in 17 17. W. J. C.
789. EscoNSE. —Is the word ** esconsed " — snugly
esconsed, etc. — a good English vocable, or is it only
used in Scottish dialect ? The old French is esconcer^
to conceal, and esconse^ part of a candlestick. Latin,
abscondere and absconsa, I do not find the word
in the "Imperial" or the "Twentieth Century"
dictionaries. A. M.
Durris.
790. Brompton Oratory Design. — The late
Mr. Andrew J. Gordon, architect, son of David
Gordon, surveyor, Beauly (a member of the TuUoch-
allum family), was trained with Matthews, Aberdeen,
and is said to have put in the most artistic, though
not the winning, design for the Oratory. Where
can I find a description of his plans ? He exhibited
the following designs at the Royal Academy
(Graves's Royal Academy ^ iii., 274): —
1887. — ** Design for Roman Catholic church,
N.B." What church was this ?
1888.—" Study for a Scotch mansion."
1901. — " Huntercombe Manor, Oxfordshire." —
This is the home of the Hon. Mrs. Boyle
("E.V.B."), who is the daughter of Alexander
Gordon of Ellon. This house was described in
Country Life^ May 6, 1899.
Where can I find an account of the various
buildings designed by Mr. Gordon, who belonged to
an ardent Catholic family ?
J. M. Bl»M.OCH.
79Z. Fbtterangus. — The Aberdeen Journal of
April 26, 1757, announces the sale of Fetterangus
on May 13, 1757 :—
The lands of Fetterangus are extremely well aooom-
modated, are thirled to no mill, and consist of about
300 acres of rich arable land, which has been lately and may
still be greatly improved by watering and lime, as they are
well situated and only by about 2 or 3 miles from several
lime quarries. William Gordon, the present proprietor,
possesses the mansion house and part of said lands, for which
he will pay the purchaser 450 merks and 16^ bolls farm meal
at 8 stone for crop 1757, and will take a tack thereof
for several years at the present rent. The other part of
the said land, which ts under tack, pays yearly 26^ bolls of
meal at 8 stone 1 boll, and £132 Scots.
Who bought the estate ?
J. M. B.
HudwerB.
44Z. Thomas Lawrancb's Mortification (2nd
S., v., 188; VI., 15, 31).— Rev. Dr. Stewart, Peter-
head, thus wrote Mr. John A. Henderson, Avondale,
Cults, the talented editor of *' Inscriptions and Epi-
taphs," on nth November, 1905: — **I have only
just learned the application of Thomas Lawrance*s
Mortification. It was in the hands of the Town
Council, in terms of his deed, and was in aid of a
poor school and education generally. It was to be
invested in Government securities, and to produce
£10 per annum. Recently it has been administered
by the School Board of the burgh. The Education
Blue Book, igo^-7, states that the first election
of the School Board of Peterhead Burgh was 14th
April, 1873, and Peterhead Landward loth May,
1873. Mr. George Lawrance, Rangoon, a grand-
nephew of the founder of the mortification (who
alleges he was so named after a former George
Lawrance, who went to the West Indies and was
never heard of again), says that the mortification
was founded to educate two lads at the Peterhead
Academy. His brothers, Charles Scott, Robert
Scott, and Thomas (all deceased) were educated
there in the usual course. He laments that the
name of this educational benefactor should be so far
forgotten, and that no tablet or mark of some kind
should keep his memory green, and hopes that the
Town Council of Peterhead will rectify this grave
omission. Not even the history of the town refers
to him— a most regrettable incident.
Robert Murdoch.
47Z. Lawrances of Pitscow, Kininmonth (2nd
S., VI., 45, 64).— The Rev. James Forrest, The
Manse, Lonmay, writes to the effect that he has
bothered Mr. Lawrance, Pitscow, to give him his
genealogy, but he takes no interest in such matters.
He says his Lawrances came from the South, stayed
about Byth for some time, and then came along to
this quarter. He did not know of any of the Law-
rances or Lawrences on the Register of Baptisms
kept by Rev. William Cock, Rathen (acopy of which
has been sent me by Mr. Forrest, to which I should
like to refer at some future date) and has no connec-
Vol. VI 1 1. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
79
tion with my Cairnchina Lonmay folks. The register
has the following variations — Lawrence, Laurence,
Laurance, and Lawrance, and the dates are from
1766 to 1842. Robert Murdoch.
600. The Lords Forbes and the **Bush op
Kaitness" (and S., VII., 13, 48). — I referred this
query to a Caithness friend who interests himself in
antiquities. He says that as a place-name in Caith-
ness it is unknown to him, and suggests that the
word means *< centre." He points to the fact that
the hub of a cart wheel is usually named the ''bush."
I may add that the spelling "Kaitness" very ac-
curately gives the local pronunciation of the name
of the county. Corson Cone.
75A. Lawrances in Usan (2nd S., VIII., 13). —
On the strength of a three week's residence in the
quaint Forfarshire fishing village, I can affirm that
there are no Lawrances in Usan, nor in the locality.
More, there is now no vintner in the place, and it
may interest Robert Murdoch to learn that William
Lawrance's cottage hostelry is now the country resi-
dence of D. H. Edwards of Brechin, beloved of the
bardic tribe. The well in which, according to the
epitaph in Maryton Churchyard, wee Willie Lawrance
was drowned, is but a few paces in front of the door,
and has long been securely covered. Lawrance was
an incomer to the place, and he left no trace of his
sojourn beyond the quaint rh)rme, which is still quite
legible, at Maryton. The surname Patton or Paton
is paramount at Usan now. Alan Reid.
762. James Clyde, LL.D. (and S., VIII., 28,
63). — Permit me to express sincere regret for an
error in my answer in last month's issue of Scottish
Notes and Queries. I stated that Dr. Clyde had
been '*a Secession minister in Dumfries." It was,
of course, his father, as"W. B. R. W." has correctly
pointed out. Dr. Clyde was licensed to preach, and
for something like a year went about as a Secession
probationer, but was never ordained as minister of a
settled charge. W. S.
764. George Blair, M.A. (2nd S., VIII., 64).—
The following is a copy of the title page of a book
in the Sandeman Library, Perth: —
" The Holocaust ; i or, the Witch of Monzie : |
a Poem | Illustrative of the Cruelties of Supersti-
tion ; I Lays of Palestine ; | and other Poems, |
to which is prefixed | Enchantment Disenchanted ;
I or, a Treatise on Superstition. | By the Rev.
George Blair. | Aut prodesse volunt; aut delectare
poetae ; | aut simul et jucunda et idonea dicere
vitae.— Hor. | London: J. F. Shaw, 27, Southamp-
ton Row, Russell Square. | Edinburgh : Thomas
Paton, Howe Street. | Perth: Thomas Richard-
son, George Street. | mdcccxlv."
The book is divided into four parts: Part I., "En-
chantment Disenchanted"; Part II., *• The Holo-
caust"; Part III., "Lays of Palestine"; Part IV.,
** Miscellaneous Poems." The page is 7^x4,^ in.
** Printed by the Perth Printing Company : W.
Belford, Printer."
yUg. Henry Shanks (2nd S.,VIII., 45). — I have
much pleasure in informing "Alba" that my dear
old friend Henry Shanks, the blind poet of the
Deans, is alive and well. A full biography of his
remarkable career appears in the eleventh volume of
Edwards' " Modern Scottish Poets," but I may state
here that though " Harry" is in his 77th year, and
has been blind for over forty of these years, his is a
stalwart frame, and that his personality and conver-
sation are as striking and interesting as in the days
of his literary activities. He is resident at Bath-
gate, not far from the scene of his birth, and by no
means forgotten by the numerous admirers of his
worth and ability. Alan Reid.
Henry Shanks, "the blind poet of the Deans,"
near Bathgate, is no longer alive. His death was
announced in the daily newspapers some months
ago — I think, about the beginning of the present
year. S.
77X. Peter Paterson (2nd S., VIII.,45). — The
alliteration in the name is somewhat suspicious, and
slightly reminiscent of the " Lee Lewes" of an earlier
period, who wrote "Anecdotes of the English and
Scottish Stages." At the same time, *' Peter Pater-
son " is not included in Halketf and Laing's list of
pseudon)rmous writers, as probably he would have
been had the title been a nom de plume. In the
"Maidment Sale Catalogue" Paterson's book is
entered under the name " Paterson (Peter)," and
entitled " Behind the Scenes: being the Confessions
of a Strolling Player," Edinburgh, 1858. Allibone
gives the title more fully, or perhaps is referring to a
different work, when he attributes to Peter Paterson,
"Glimpses of Real Life as seen in the Theatrical
World and in Bohemia: being the Confessions of
Peter Paterson, a Strolling Comedian," Edinburgh,
April, 1864 ; 2nd edition, November, 1864. The
evidence seems to point to Peter Paterson as the
author's real name. S.
772. " Thole, and Think On I " (2nd S.,VIII.,
45). — The motto of the ancient family of Tweedie of
Drummelzier, in Peeblesshire, was "Thole and
Think," while that of Maxwell of Cardoness, in
Kirkcudbrightshire, is "Think On." I would venture
to suggest that the inscription on the tombstone in
Liberton Kirkyard may have been chosen by the
stonecutter as an appropriate message from the dead
to the living— "Thole, and Think On," or, "Endure
present ills, and remember the future," as the words
may perhaps be paraphrased. W.
773. The Clan Maclean (2nd S., VIII, 45).—
"Seneachie," who wrote the " Historical and Genea-
logical Account of the Clan of Maclean," London,
Smith, Elder, 1838, was Lachlan Maclean. A later
history of the clan, written by an American Maclean,
establishes, I believe, Lachlan Maclean's authorship.
S.
So
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES [November, 1906
777. Origin of Names "Beinn Iutharn Mhor"
AND "Beag" (2nd S., VIII., 62). — According to
Smith (** History of Aberdeenshire," i., 372), "Beinn
Iutharn Mhor" and "Iutharn Beag" signify** the
mountains of power and strength.'* I greatly prefer
Mr. Sidney C. Couper's more picturesque, if also
more lurid, definition, in which, by the way, he is
corroborated by the late Mr. James Macdonald in
his *• Place Names of West Aberdeenshire." Assum-
ing Mr. Couper's definition to be correct, one might
be inclined to believe that the tragic fate of Diarmid,
a Fingalian hero, reported to have occurred some-
where in the neighbourhood, or, at least, in the
same parish, may perhaps have given rise to the
names ** big" and '* little mountains of hell."
W.
778. John Heiton (2nd S., VIII., 62^.—
Jonn Heiton, of Darnick Tower, author of '* The
Castes of Edinburgh," died in 1870. Andrew
Heiton, F.S.A., architect, Perth, who succeeded
him, was his cousin, not his younger brother. John
Heiton also wrote •* Old World and Young World,"
Edinburgh, 1865. Of '* Anthony Oneal Hayt" I
can say nothing. The name does not occur among
Halkett and Laing's pseudonymous writers.
S.
779. Priest Gordon (2nd S., VIII., 62).— There
is an article on ** General Patrick Gordon " in
** Eraser's Magazine," vol. 44, 185 1. Perhaps it may
contain the reference which Mr. J. M. Bulloch
requires. S.
780. The Name McKelvie (2nd S., VIII., 62).—
This is a name of infrequent occurrence. I can only
recall at the moment two persons of note who have
borne it, both of them Scotsmen, namely. Rev.
William McKelvie, D.D., historian of the U.P.
Church, and author of a " Life of Michael Bruce ";
and D. G. (?) McKelvie, a journalist, and champion
draughts player. The name, I venture to think, has
a territorial origin. It is perhaps connected with
the river Kelvin at Glasgow. So far as I have been
able to ascertain, the McKelvies are not a sept of
any Highland clan, have no tartan of their own,
and are not entitled to assume that of any other
family. W.
781. Burke's ''Landed Gentry" (2nd S.,VIII.,
62).— Under "John Burke," the "Dictionary of
National Biography" says: — "Between 1833 and
1838, he [Burke] published *A Genealogical and
Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain
and Ireland,' in four 8vo volumes; another edition
was issued in 1837-8; and a third edition, in two
volumes, between 1843 and 1849. The title was
altered in the later editions to * A Dictionary of the
Landed Gentry '; and a supplementary volume ap-
peared in 1844 containing corrigenda and a general
index." The first edition of "Landed Gentry"
is generally dated 1848, and subsequent editions run
from that period. There was an edition in 1858 ;
the 4th edition, in two parts, appeared 1862-3 \ ^"*
other " 4th edition, revised and enlarged," was pub-
lished in 1868 ; the 5th edition bears date 1871 ; and
there was another edition in 1882. These details, I
trust, may be of some slight use to Mr. W. Saunders.
I am, however, by no means sanguine that the dates
specified will do anything more than add to the
prevailing confusion, because I am given to under-
stand that a correct enumeration of the various
editions of Burke's books forms one of the most
insoluble problems in modern bibliography. There
is no edition of ** Royal Families," I believe, later
than 185 1. W. S.
*
Scots Soofts ot tbe Aontb.
Cram, Ralph Adams. The Ruined Abbeys ot
Great Britain. Profusely Illustrated. Crown 8vo.
Net, I2S. 6d. Gay & Bird.
Crawford, J. H. From Fox's Earth to Moun-
tain Tarn : Days among the Wild Animals of
Scotland. 17 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. los 6d.
John Lane.
Qraham, H. Qrey. Social Life of Scotland in
the Eighteenth Century. 8vo. Net, 5s.
A. & C. Black.
Lea, J. Henry. Genealogical Research in
England, Scotland, and Ireland. A Handbook
for the Student Net, 7s. 6d.
London : Mitchell, Hughes, & Clarke.
Simpson, H. F. Morland, M.A., P. 5. A.
Scot. Bon -Record : Records and Reminiscences
of Aberdeen Grammar School from the Earliest
Times by many Writers. Profusely Illustrated.
Super- Royal 8vo. Net, 12s. 6A
Aberdeen : David Wyllie & Son.
Walker, Very Rev. William, in.A., LL.D.
Additional Reminiscences and A Belated Class
Book (King's College, 1836-40). With 2 Illustra-
tions. Crown 8vo. Net, 2S. and 2s. 6d.
Aberdeen : David Wyllie & Son.
Wilson, Jotin, D.D., Minister at Dunning
(18611878). Dunning: its Parochial History,
with Notes, Antiquarian, Ecclesiastical, Baronial,
and Miscellaneous. Edited by W. Wilson, M.A.,
Minister at Trossachs. 3 Illustrations. 8vo.
Net, 2S. Crieff: D. Phillips.
NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.
All communications should be accompanied by an
identifying name and address. As publication day
is the 25th of each month, copy should be in a few
days earlier. En.
Printed and Published at The Roaemonnt Press, Aberdeen.
Literary communications should be addressed to the Editor^
23 Osborne Place. Aberdeen; Advertisements and Business
Letters to the Publishers, Farmer's Ball Lane, Aberdeen.
SCOTTISH
NOTES AND QUERIES.
VOL. vni. 1 No 6
2Qd aSBIES. J ^^ ^' "•
December, 1906.
itE0I8T.RB){g«»p«i ^
CONTENTS.
NOTES :- Page
Forfarshire aa a Factor in Soottiih Life and Thouglit 81
The Surtees Ballad Franda. 86
The Wells of Aberdeen 87
Aberdonians Abroad : Henry Farquharson 89
The Arms of the City of Aberdeen 90
MiNOB Notes :—
Traditions Selating to the Lawrance Family^
Northern Fencibles— Aberdeen-American Gradu-
ates. 84
The Gordons of Minmore— Alexander Sinclair Gor-
don, Volanteer Bnthusiast— The Character of the
Cabrach— Alexander Family— Leyden's Poems—
HtillRoom 85
Forfarshire— Forfarshire as a Factor in Scottish Life
and Thought— Stone Coffin found at Leslie 88
Laurence Cockbum— A Curious Prophecy Fulfilled . . 91
QCBRIE8 :—
Gordon House Academy, Kentish Town, London-
Edith Aitken 91
David Lindsay— " Coxswain Johnnie "—Robert Gor-
don of Xeres de la Frontera— BAmsay of Abbotshall
and Waughton— The Grants of Auchaiinachy— Mr.
George Caw, Printer, Hawick 92
Prince Charlie's Persian Horse 93
AHSWKRS :—
Gordon, Gannouth 93
English County Anthology— Mr. D. M'Gregor Peter
—The Name Bodie 94
Henry Shanks— Byron and the Plain of Marathon-
Sir James Horn Burnett's Challenge Bugle-
Rhyme on Snuff —" Rosy-flngered Mom " 95
A "ScoU Review " of 1774— The Murder of Two
Sons of Gk>rdon of Ellon— "Esoonse"—Brompton
Oratory Design— Fetterangus 96
SOOTS Books of the Month 96
ABERDEEN, DECEMBER, igo6.
FORFARSHIRE AS A FACTOR IN
SCOTTISH LIFE AND THOUGHT.
f Continued from 2nd S., VIIL, p, 69. J
Referring next to the military and naval nota-
bilities belonging to this shire, I remark that of
these my lists contain 49 names, many of them
distinguished, among which, in addition to the
great names of the Royalist leaders, the Marquis
of Montrose and Viscount Dundee, may be
mentioned Macbeth, the hero of one of Shake-
speare's tragedies, whom recent historians repre-
sent, not, as the poet describes, as a mere ambi-
tious usurper, but as a true patriot and wise
statesman. To these names I could add those
of Gilchrist, the Earl of Angus, who defeated
the English in 11 24 ; Sir Robert Pitilloch, who
distinguished himself in France in 1460; David
Barclay, who fought gallantly under Gustavus
Adolphus in the German wars, as well as two
Forfarshire Lindsays, also engaged in the same
monarch's service. Nor must I omit Generals
Ramsay and Wood, two excellent officers under
the famous Duke of Marlborough ; General
Sir David Leigh ton, an Indian officer of dis-
tinction ; and General Sir Wm. Chalmers, who
fought under Wellington in the Peninsula and
at Waterloo with the utmost gallantry, and
whQse name is still cherished in Dundee as one
of the bravest and best of her sons.
Among Forfarshire's distinguished naval men
must be included the names notably of Admiral
Charles Middleton, Viscount Barham, whose
skilful and wise administration at the Admiralty
during the French war did so much to render
possible not only the great achievements of
Nelson, but also of Admiral Viscount Duncan,
the hero of Camperdown, as well as Admirals
Sir lolm Lindsay and Sir George Carnegie,
6tb Earl of Southesk. I could considerably
extend the above list, but space fails me, and so
I pass on next to treat of the notable lawyers
on my lists.
As lawyers, the men of Angus hold a
good place among the other Scottish shires.
I have at least 32 names of more or less merit
under this head. I shall not allude to more
than a few of the more distinguished. And,
first, as to the judges of Angus birth. Two of
these — ^James Ivory (Lord Ivory) and Adam
Gillies (Lord Gillies) — were excellent representa-
tives of our Scottish Court of Session ; while
Thomas Scot, who was long Lord Chief Justice
of Canada, and Dr. Samuel Johnstone, who was
one of the Revolution leaders in the American
rebellion and played a considerable part in
framing the Constitution of the United States,
and who subsequently became a prominent
Federal Judge, as well as Sir William Nicoll, the
82
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[December, 1906
present Chief Justice in Lagos, West Africa,
exhibit in u very interesting way the wide
ranging activity and influence of the men of
Angus.
I believe, however, that it is more as scholars
and teachers than as men of affairs or judges
that the natives of this shire come before the
notice of their fellows. My lists contain no
fewer than 62 such names. They are, more-
over, an illustrious group, extending from Patrick
Panther, the scholarly Abbot of Cambuskenneth,
to Professor Charles S. Roy, of Cambridge
University, on the one hand, and Professor James
A. Ewing, of Tokio University, Japan, on the
other. Among their number are included names
so illustrious as that of the great Greek scholar,
Professor Richard C. Jebb, of Cambridge Uni-
versity ; of Professor John P. Nichol, of Glasgow,
as well as of his son, John, long Professor of
English Literature in the same University ; of
Professor Stephen Reay, of Cambridge, a famous
Arabic scholar; of Professor John Playfair, of
Edinburgh, the distinguished mathematician ;
and, indeed, of many others equally excellent
that I cannot fitid space to enumerate.
Medical men also figure largely on my lists —
I have the names of 41 such. Of these, how-
ever, though many unnamed are equally or
scarcely less distinguished, 1 will only specify
five. These are Professor James Miller, of
Edinburgh University, a great surgeon and an
early advocate of total abstinence ; Professor
William Sharpey, one of the most popular of
London doctors ; Drs. Neill Arnott and Sir
William Burnett, both famous London physicians,
and both also successful scientific inventors ; and,
last of all, Dr. George Webster, who has gained
the thanks of the profession as founder of the
British Medical Association.
Even more important, perhaps, owing to the
part they have played in developmg the resources
and promoting the wealth of tneir country, have
been the enterprising merchants and manu-
facturers of this shire, who have not only created
the prosperity of the towns of Angus, but
have carried their enterprise elsewhere and built
up great businesses and fortunes in almost every
part of the world. Among the former are included
not only such men as John Wallace, who intro-
duced the linen manufacture into the shire, as
well as the numerous representatives of the well-
known Baxter, Cox, and Yeaman families, who,
during the last century, have been so con-
spicuously associated with the chief industries of
Angus, but the names also of men like the late
Provost Moncur, of Dundee, the Corsars and
Salmonds of Arbroath, the Lairds and Lowsons
ot Forfar, and many others equally deserving
mention. Among the latter class, on the other
hands are found names so notable as those of
tohn Coutts, the founder of the London banking
ouse that goes by his name ; of James Brown,
too, an eminent engineer, who became the head
of the well-known Birmingham firm of James
Watt & Co. ; of Sir James Dick, also a suc-
cessful merchant, who became Lord Mayor of
London, as well as of John Ross Valentine, a
millionaire banker in the United States; and
Alexander Stephen, the founder of the great
Glasgow firm of shipbuilders of that name.
One thing that I notice particularly in con-
nection with the practical energies of the natives
of this region is their success as inventors.
Thus, of the 20 persons grouped under this
heading, the following exceptionally notable
names appear: — (i) The Reverend Patrick Bell,
the inventor of the reaping machine ; (2) James
Hunter, the inventor of the stone-dressing
machine, that has made the granite industry so
great a success in Scotland ; (3) James Chalmers,
the inventor of the adhesive stamp, by means of
which the postal development of the world has
been rendered so marvellously successful ; (4)
James Brown Lindsay, the electrician, who first
demonstrated the possibility of wireless tele-
graphy ; (5) Alexander Shanks, who invented
the lawn-mower ; (6) Charles Watson, the
inventor of the double-current ventilator,
but who was better known, perhaps, as the
" Napoleon of tract distribution"; and (7), and
finally, Dr. A. C. Kirk, whose triple-expansion
steam engine alone made possible the amazing
development in ocean steam navigation that
characterised the closing years of the 19th
century, though the new turbine system of
propulsion seems on the point of taking its
place.
Then, among agricultural improvers, besides
less notable names, I have that of John Nicoll,
who raised the excellent variety of seed pota-
toes that went by the name of ** Champion," as
well as other popular varieties ; of Hugh
Watson, too, the first breeder of the famous
Angus " Doddies," that noted breed of cattle
which, in the hands of the Aberdeen farmers, has
now attained the foremost place in the London
markets.
1 have only to refer, in closing this review, to
a list of 27 adventurous or eccentric characters
and nondescripts of all kinds, belonging to this
shire, which 1 have compiled.
This is an unusually large number of such
names, but not more numerous than might have
been expected owing to the marked individuality
of mental character manifested by the natives
of this region. Perhaps the most notable of the
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
83
27 are the following :—(i) Alexander Lindsay, the
tyrant Earl of Crawford, who, for his enormities,
was known as " the Tiger Earl," or " Earl
Beardie"; (2) David Lindsay, the 12th Earl
of Crawford, who was called "the Prodigal
Earl " ; (3) General Connon, who became a
pacha and a Turkish General in the Crimean
War ; (4) Old Horatio Ross, the famous deer-
stalker and rifle-shot, whose son, Edward Ross,
was the first to win the Queen's Prize at
Wimbledon, in i860, thus giving a foretaste,
at the very start of that competition, of the
striking superiority which Scottish volunteers
were to manifest in subsequent years over all
other British volunteers in the accomplishment
of rifle-shooting. I may add here that another
Forfarshire volunteer who has carried off that
much coveted prize was Sergeant David Dear,
of Friockheim. I have also two centenarians
on my list, which points to the hardy and
vigorous physical constitution enjoyed by the
inhabitants of this district.
I have thus reviewed and set forth in my
usual manner, though, I fear, less carefully than
in some previous essays, the part which my
investigations show the county of Forfar to
have taken in the development of our national
life and influence. And I think that one con-
clusion to which all must have been led by the
facts adduced, is that the people of Angus are
characterised by at least as high intellectual and
moral qualities as those of any other Scottish
shire. I am well aware that rumours to an
opposite effect are sometimes heard, some of
which have received the sanction of high names.
Thus, I think, I have heard the town of Forfar
spoken of as " godless Forfar,'* and even as
" Satan's seat," while I have certainly read
the following comment on that town, made by
the saintly evangelist McCheyne immediately
after preaching in it — a comment which is cer-
tainly scathing enough — " Fearfully wicked
place. The cry of it ascends up before God
like that of Sodom." Similarly disparaging
remarks I have heard regarding even "the
Scottish Geneva" itself, the city so illustrious for
its religious zeal in Reformation times, and
which — by the ministry of the godly Willison in
the 1 8th century, and the saintly McCheyne and
William Bums in the 19th century, as well as of
many other equally devoted and pious, spiritual
teachers — might have been expected to possess a
character beyond the reach of reproach or
scandal. Saturday night there I have heard
spoken of as a veritable pandemonium — a perfect
saturnalia of wickedness. While that other
Angus parishes have not been without their
aspersers, even within the bounds of the county
of Forfar itself, may be inferred, I think, from
the following local descriptive couplet, which
used to be and, perhaps, still is current in the
neighbourhood of the parishes which are there
emphatically characterised as
** Theivin' Glenisla, Leein' Lintrathen,"
Cursin' Kingowdrum and Kind Kirriemuir.
It is pleasing to find that at least one parish in
four can have a good word said for it by the
local poet. But while it would appear that
common report is somewhat hard on the moral
and religious state of Forfarshire, I am glad to say
that a recent official volume, entitled " The Judi-
cial Statistics of Scotland," has cast a new light
on the questions in controversy, and seems to
suggest that once again the vox populi is very
far indeed from being the vox veriiatis. Thus,
in regard to the alleged pre-eminent intemper-
ance of Dundee, the facts brought out in the
volume referred to seem to show that, with the ex-
ception of Aberdeen, the natives of that town are
really more temperate in their habits than those
of any other large town in Scotland. Of
every 10,000 of the population of Aberdeen, it
was found, when the statistics I am quoting were
compiled, that 207.5 were convicted of offences
arising out of drunkenness^ while in other towns
the figures (discarding decimals) were — Dundee
223, Edinburgh 325, Leith 339, Paisley 339
Govan 432, Greenock 564, Glasgow 604.
Thus the whole East Coast, Leith included
shines out in eminent respectability ; and if you
want genuine, disgraceful putrescence, you must
go to the abandoned cities on the Clyde ! The
same deplorable effects of the West Coast social
habits continue to show themselves in the towns
of the second class — those with a population of
from 20,000 to 50,00a In this category Arbroath
stands triumphantly at the top, and no other
town makes a good second. In this home of
puritanical sobriety the convictions per 10,000
were 143, next best — and a long way off— being
Dunfermline with 237. In Ayr the number was
571, and in Hamilton 559. Perth keeps within
the region of moderate respectability with 300.
But the great surprise of all awaits us when we
look into the case of the burghs with a popula-
tion of from 10,000 to 20,000. There are 18 of
them, and, of all places on the earth, Forfar
heads the list ! Forfar the maligned — the last
word of the comparative Jeremiah ! Its record
of drunkenness per 10,000 was 69, as compared
with 808 in Falkirk, which appears to be the
most drunken place in Scotland ; and 505 in
Dumbarton, which is quite a westcoastish
figure. Montrose is 131, Brechin 109, Broughty
Ferry 99, and St. Andrews no. It is interesting
also to take a glince at the counties in this
rtrnm
84
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[December, 1906
connection. The prevalent notion that real,
sustained, resolute drinking^ has its home in the
Highlands is not confirmed by these statistics.
Thus, Orkney and Shetland head the list in the
order of virtue, and Inverness and Sutherland
come in the first half-dozen ; but Forfar is
3rd, being thus at the head of the counties on
the Scottish mainland. Aberdeen is 5th and
Fife 1 8th, Perth one place worse, but Kincardine
borders on decency m the nth place. Though,
generally, the West Coast counties are just as
bad as one would expect counties to be which
contain such terribly abandoned towns, curiously
enough the coastless Peebles is the worst of the
whole 33, which indicates that even in these
days it struggles in a hectic and bibulous way to
sustain its reputation — " Peebles for pleasure."
I do not pretend to be able to explain the
hidden cause that seems to be at work making
the East Coast of Scotland comparatively a
soberer region than the West, but if " Philip
sober " may be rightly expected to judge more
wisely than " Philip drunk," then it is, perhaps,
a confirmation of the statistics that I have
quoted, that when the whole West of Scotland
a few years ago declined to Imperialism, the
East of Scotland generally, but pre-eminently
the three sober counties of Forfar, Aberdeen,
and Kincardine, kept the flag of Liberalism
flying, and proved a sort of Gibraltar, or quadri-
lateral, impregnable to all the assaults of the
party whose astounding watchword of ** Beer,
the Bible, and the British Empire," had been
too successful in the rest of the country.
It is, at all events, a comforting reflection to
me that I fell upon these statistics while writing
the present essay, as they tend to confirm the
conclusion, which on other grounds I had already
formed, viz., that the type of man produced in
Forfar was one marked by strong powers of
self-control and capable of as high achieve-
ments, intellectually and spiritually, as those of
any other region ot Scotland, with the exception,
possibly, of the Scottish Border.
W. B. R. W.
To he continued.
Traditions Relating to the Lawrance
Family : — Mr. R, Johnston Robertson may
be glad to have the undernoted particulars
which I append for preservation : — Mr. J. D.
Lawrance, 3 Johnson's Buildings, Temple, E.C.,
writes on i8th May, 1904: — "We. have no
tradition of having come from Scotland.
Lawr^mces have undoubtedly been settled at
Dunsby and Haconby, in the county of Lincoln,
for some 200 or 300 years (see parish registers,
tombs, etc.). Beyond that, I have no infor-
mation of a definite character. A shadowy
tradition says they came from Gloucestershire,
but personally I believe that to be pure surmise."
The Rev. Robert Lawrance, B. A., M. A.,
Hollesley Rectory, Woodbridge, Suffolk, writes,
August 23rd, 1904: — "My family is in no way
connected with Scotland. There is no doubt
the spelling Lawrence is more common than
ours, but I have not heard of any tradition of
their being sprung from France. All I
know of them is that they lived in the
southern counties — chiefly in Hants." The Rev.
Henry Lawrance, 195 Legrams Lane, Bradford,
mentions, on May 19th, 1904, that his father's
family has been settled in Yorkshire for several
generations — much more he cannot say. They
were a yeoman family. He has often thought of
pursuing the enquiry by means of parish
registers, etc., but the chance has never come.
This gentleman also says that his ancestors are
traditionally supposed to be connected ^ith
Lawrences of Dunsby, South Lincolnshire, of
whom is the Judge. He is owner of a fine book-
plate on which is portrayed a knight in armour.
Any other notes bearing upon the distribution of
Lawrences and Lawrences will be highly appre-
ciated and preserved in our columns for refer-
ence to students of family history.
Robert Murdoch. .
Northern Fencibles.— I have the original
commission of my great-uncle, Francis Stewart
of Lesmurdie, as ensign in " Our Regiment of
Fencible Men, commanded by Our Right Trusty
and Right entirely beloved Cousin, Colonel
Alexander, Duke of Gordon, K.T., and to take
rank in Our .^rmy during the establishment of
the said Regiment," etc., etc. The document is
signed by King George III., on the 19th January,
1780, and countersigned by Lord Hillsborough.
These Fencibles were neither Militia nor Volun-
teers, but regular regiments raised for home
defence only. Their officers were appointed by
purchase — an ensigncy costing, I think, j^45o.
Francis Stewart was afterwards in the 79th
Cameron Highlanders (raised 1793), and eventu-
ally, after long service, commanded the troops
in Ceylon. He died in 1824.
Arch. Leslie
Of Klnfnvle.
Aberdeen - American Graduates. — Dr.
Gammack errs in naming No. 145 (October,
1906) John Herald. It should have been James.
The place of death is given as " Meieine Hat."
Should it not be " Medicine Hat"?
J. D.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
85
The Gordons of Minmore.— The Rev.
Stephen Ree makes some additions to the ac-
count of the Minmore Gordons which appeared
in the Huntly Express of June i, 1906 : —
1674, September 20. — John Leslie, having bor-
rowed the mortcloth to Minimoir, and not being a
parishoner, did promise to pay a rex dolor. —
(Mortlach Session Register.)
This seems to indicate that William I. of Min-
more died two years before his grandson got
sasine. The " John Leslie " is probably the John
Leslie of Parkbeg (which is in Mortlach) who
married Isobel, daughter of William I. of Min-
more.
1683, May I. — Helen Grant, eldest lawful daugh-
ter of Robert Grant of Tombreackachie, got sasine
in liferent on Minimoir. — (Banffshire Sasines.)
Perhaps she was the future spouse of Ludovick
Gordon of Minmore, about whom very little is
known.
Alexander Sinclair Gordon, Volun-
teer Enthusiast. — He was the son of Charles
Gordon, the twelfth laird of Abergeldie. A very
interesting reference to him — which seems to
have escaped the notice of local genealogists —
occurs in Henry Angelo's "Reminiscences" (I.,
438-9) :—
During a certain period of the latter part of the
late war, whilst the City Light Horse were on effec-
tive duty, they had two messes — one held at the
Crown and Anchor, the other at the British Coffee-
house. Doubtless the tables of such a corps were
well served ; and the conviviality, which was usually
protracted to a late hour by some of its gay members,
was such as no military society that I have known
could match. It must be remembered that, the mess
being in the midst of the metropolis, there was a
notable sample of choice spirits within reach from
which to fill a spare seat. The adjutant—** Sandy "
Gordon, as he was familiarly called by his comrades
— was a joyous convive. Certain Scottish songs,
which he sang with peculiar nationality, were de-
lectable to hear ; the delight which they afforded to
loyal sons of Scotland (a good sprinkling of whom
rode in this wealthy corps), when they were elevated
to the pitch of the second bottle of claret, was truly
elevating to behold.
The Character of the Cabrach.— Cattle-
lifting seems to have been more common in the
Cabrach than in most parts of the surrounding
country. Thus, Alexander Gordon, in Kirktoun
of Cabrach, was tried at Aberdeen (see Journal
of May 9, 1768) in May, 1768, for having stolen,
about six years previously, two cattle, and for
opening a house by means of false keys and
stealing ten bolls of meal. After a trial of nine
hours he was acquitted of the cattle-lifting but
found guilty of taking the meal and being
"habit and repute a thief." He was sentenced
to be whipped and banished to the plantations
for life. So he was whipped on May 21 and
deported July 23, 1768. On April 12, 1769,
James Gordon, from- the Cabrach, was com-
mitted to prison for horse-stealing {Aberdeen
Journal^ April 27, 1769).
Alexander Family. — Mr. Herbert Railton,
the well-known artist, tells me that his grand-
father — Dr. Alexander, Preston — was an Aber-
donian. I take him to have been John Alex-
ander, Halifax, who got his M.D. at Marischal
College in 1782. At anyrate, Dr. Alexander,
Preston, had
1 John Lyon Alexander, engineer, Delahay Street,
London, who had
Edward Alexander, I.C.S.
Charles Alexander, indigo merchant.
Cuthbert Alexander.
Arthur Alexander.
2 Edwin Alexander, patent agent.
3 Elizabeth Ann Alexander : married — Railton,
and was the mother of Mr. Herbert Railton.
4 — Alexander, abbess, Loretto Convent, Kil-
larney.
J. M. B.
Leyden's Poems.— In my article in the Octo-
ber number on "Some of Dr. John Leyden's
Inedited Poems," I thought the printer's blunder
in the second line of both versions of the sonnet
on "Sabbath Morning'' was so obvious that I
did not think it necessary to point it out.
However, Mr. Alan Reid has evidently not
noticed it. "Waxes" should, of course, be
"wakes," and the line read, "That slowly wakes
while all the fields are still ! "
Hassendean, James Sinton.
Eastfield, Joppa.
Still Room (2nd S., VIII., 45, 54, 68).— On
reading over the articles defining what a still
room was used for, I am of the same opinion as
Dr. Milne. On being shown over a large
mansion house the other day, the housekeeper
showed us the still room. I at once asked her
what it was used for, and she promptly replied
that it was used for " distilling herbs," and other
duties connected with the kitchen. When mak-
ing plans for a new house, that room is generally
called the " stillroom maid's room." On looking
up Chambers's " Dictionary of the English
Language," published in 1872, I find it is called
"an apartment for distilling." This, I conclude,
is the correct meaning of the word.
Aberlady.
J. J. W. Lamb.
86
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[December, 1906
THE SURTEES BALLAD FRAUDS.
I do not think that it is so well known in
Scotland as it is in the North of England that
all the ballads furnished by Robert Surtees, Esq.
of Mainsforth, County Durham, to Scott's
"Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border" were
pseudo-antiques, actually fabricated by that
gentleman, and forwarded to Sir Walter as
genuine, with such attestations as " taken down
from the recitation of a woman, 80 years of age,
living on Alston Moor"; "recited by an old
woman who weeded in his garden"; "written down
from the recitation of Rose Smith, a woman
aged upwards of 91, whose husband, father, and
brothers were killed in the affair of 171 5." The
ballads and testimony were alike manufactured
by Surtees. One feels somewhat nonplussed
how to rightly characterise such deception.
Lauder, Ireland, and Chatterton were violently
stigmatised for their forgeries, but then, what
was detestable conduct on the part of a needy
adventurer in the republic of letters became
merely a bit of harmless waggery when done
by an accomplished country gentleman. Of
course the fraud remains all the same. Surtees
is known in literature as the author of four
portly volumes, folio, "History and Antiquities
of the County Palatine of Durham,*' the first
of which appeared in 1816. The Surtees Society,
named in honour of him, have already pub-
lished over 100 volumes illustrative of the north-
east of England. It may be readily believed
that Scott and Surtees became friendly at once
and corresponded regularly. Scott never dreamt
that any fraud was practised upon him in the
matter of the ballads, nor did his biographer
Lockhart ; and it was only after the death of
Surtees, in February, 1834, that the story leaked
out, and was made public property. Fraser's
Magasitte had an exhaustive article on the
subject
Many years ago I resided for some time in
the city of Durham, and I was soon informed,
with a great deal of jubilant cackle, how "Bobby
Surtees had taken in thy countryman, Scott, with
a parcel of au'd ballats made cop by himseP."
I disputed this, and said, if true, it was at the
expense of Surtee's veracity. I was shown
Vol. VII. of Moses A. Richardson's "Borderer's
Table Book,'' where the forgeries were described,
and, latei on, I was lent the " Life of Surtees "
(1852), written by George Taylor, and improved
by the Rev. James Raine, secretary of the
Surtees Society, forming Vol. XXIV. of the
Societ/s publications. It includes poems and
correspondence, the forged ballads receiving
primary consideration as the most successful
products of his muse. I will specify the forgeries
briefly : —
1. Death of Featherstonhaugh. — A
rough rhyme, the last verse a bit of brutal
realism which ought to be castrated. Sir Walter
actually introduced part of it in the text of
"Marmion" (1808) as having been sung by a
harper in Norham Castle. " Haud their jaw"
is a colliery jargon, and should have awakened
suspicion, but it did not. He relied on his cor-
respondent's sincerity.
2. Lord Ewrie. — Fair imitation of the elder
ballad. The hero. Sir Ralph Evers, or Ivoors,
got his gruel at Ancrum Moor, 1546, and is
buried in Melrose Abbey.
3. Barthram's Dirge.— Very artfully con-
cocted, moderinizations alternating with ancient
words. Aytoun injudiciously admitted it into
his "Ballads of Scotland," 2nd vol., 1858, qualify-
ing the admission by stating that it was a
Northumbrian ditty, whereas it was a Durham
one, A learned Theban on legendary loie dis-
coursed in the Melbourne Argus on the modern
tinge of the emendations in this ballad as con-
trasted with the olden portion, but I do not
think that he was grateful to me for telling him
that it was all written by Surtees, and the
bracketed interpolations simply put in as a
decoy, and apparently as effective a trap now
as it was eighty years ago. There are ten verses
in Surtees' poems, but the two additional ones
are unimportant.
4. Sir John le Spring.— Good imitation
of the elder ballad, contributed to Sir Cuthbert
Sharp's "Bishopric Garland." Sir Jol.n was
murdered in the arms of his Icman in 131 1
at Houghton-le-Spring, a village in County
Durham, memorable for the ministry there of
Bernard Gilpin, "the Apostle of the North."
5. Derwentwater's Farewell.— Six
verses, frequently printed as a veritable product
of 171 5. It is the best of Surtec'^ L.iUads.
Being too late for inclusion in the " Minstrelsy
of the Scottish Border," it was sent to the El trick
Shepherd for insertion in his "Jacobite Relics."
In Surtee's correspondence, there is a letter
from Hogg thanking the English squire for his
courtesy, and likewise informing him that his
(Surtees') was the only order received from
England for his poems. Curious commentary
that on the boasted liberality of Englishmen.
6. The Wounded Knight. — This was
found amongst the papers of Surtees, and pre-
sumed to be his handiwork, but it was in reality
written by John Finlay, a college friend of
Campbell, Grahame, and Prof Wilson, who
died early in 18 10. As it is short and not well
known, I will finish my notes with it : —
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
87
A knight there came from the field of the slain,
His steed was drenchM with the falling rain ;
He rode to the forest to rest his head,
Till day should dawn on his grassy bed.
But his wounds bled fast, and his courser fell
Ere he reached the brook in the forest dell ;
His shield hung low, and the moon's wan beam
Shone sad and soft on the murmuring stream.
He could not wind his bugle horn.
And he died at the brook ere early morn.
Pray for the soul of the knight who fell
At the mossy brook in the forest dell.
Melbourne, Australia.
Alba.
THE WELLS OF ABERDEEN.
In the Bodleian Library is preserved the only
extant copy of a two-leaved Latin-English tract:
" Tituli Fontium Abredonensium : the Titles of
Aberdeen's Wells. ... In the year of Our
Lord 1707" (no place or printer's name).
Through the courtesy of Mr. F. Madan', I
have obtained a transcript of the tract, the
English portion of which seems to merit a place
in Scottish Notes and Queries. It will be seen
that two centuries ago, as now, the supply of
pure water to the citizens of Aberdeen was a
problem calling for the attention of the "Fathers
of the City."
The writer, John Alexander, appears as a
Bajan at Marischal College in 1688. How many
of his eight wells can now be identified ?
The tract is dedicated : —
To The Right Honourable
Mr. John Gordon Lord Provost,
(lohn Ross "I
Thomas Strachan I r» -r
lames Catanach f^ailies
George Cruickshank j
Mr. lohn Dowglas Dean of Gild.
Mr. lames Morison Thesaurer.
And Remnant Members of the Honourable
Councill of Aberdeen.
Right Honourable
That great Physician Cardan, being brought from
his native Countrey Italie into | Scotland, to re-
cover the health of the Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews,
whom I having cur'd, and being mov'd by the
great Fame of the City and Universitie of | Aber-
deen, he gladly visited this Your City, the chief of
the North of Scotland and | residence of the
Muses. Where (as the custom of Physicians is)
having considered the | temperature of the Air,
the nature of the Soile and waters, he highly com-
mended I for ordinar use and drinking the neigh-
bouring Springs, which to this day from his |
Name are called Cardans, |
The which Your Honours, truely Fathers of
the City, leaning to the authority of | so great a
Physician, and consulting the good of Your Citizens
in their Aqueducts imi- | tating the magnificence
of the Roman Emperours, are at present conveying
into Your | City. Thus you have [sic] undertaken
a work truely great, such as no Magistrats Your |
Predecessors ever dar*d to attempt, and which
Posterity shall ever praise. |
May it then please Your Honours to allow Your
Citizen, tho a Physician of the | lowest degree, to
approve the great Physician Cardan's opinion of
Your Wells, by | adorning them with proper Titles
to You Dedicat, and to add these lines.
A Doctor did these Fontains healthfuU tr>%
Them doth a Doctor, with Verse beautify:
Accept grave Senators these Verse I give,
Of thankfull Minde, pledge to you while I live.
Your Honours most humble Serviteur,
lohn Alexander.
The English verses are as under : —
i. Of the Well in the Marcat Place,
To the great good of the Citizens and Cities orna-
ment, Cardans healthful! Streams, with great
Travell, at last are hither happily conveyed.
For 'twas a work of so great importance
Cardans healthfull Streams, hither to advance.
And as these Waters, ever healthfull flow,
May these Mens Fame, remain and ever grow.
ii. Of the Well in the Broad-gate.
On Neighbouring Well Cardan did praise bestow;
Hither convey'd may't ever healthfull flow.
iii. Of the Well at the Colledge.
From Helicon, a Muse doth here retyre.
With its pure Streams, which Citizens inspyre.
iv. Of the Well in the Gallow-gate.
Cardans healthfull Streams, Aberdeen here enter.
May they ever run, as heavens around their Center.
V. Of the Well in the Upper Kirk-gate.
As blood from heart, by veins doth e're return.
From Sea, through Earth so fresh these waters run.
vi. Of the Well in the Neathcr Kirk gate.
Cardans Well runs here, tho it undermine,
The Town not hurts, hut's usefull at all time.
vii. Of the Well in the Green.
Cardans healthful Streams also here do flow.
On Citizens, great good so to bestow.
viii. Of the Well at the Shoar,
The Town now water'd, Cardans Nymph doth run,
To Gea, through Earth, to source sweet to return.
■■ V 1"
^P"
• V I
88
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[Dfx:embrr, 1906
The tract concludes with the earliest known
product of the muse of William Meston, then an
under master in the Grammar School : —
In Titulos Fontium Abredonensium
Ogsioastichon
Hos fontes Medicus quondam laudaverat unus ;
Has nitidas, Medicuss [sic] jam canit alter aquas:
I lie salutiferas, membris languentibus undas
Comperit, et primus nomina fecit aquis. *
Ctvibus Hie nostris aptas, morbisque levandis
Usibus et variis, carmine laudat aquas
Decurrunt lympha;, Cardani nomine clarx,
Fons et Alexandri carmine clarus erit.
Canebat Gulielmus Meston
£x ScholsD AbredonanoD Praeceptoribus unus,
Thus English'd,
One Doctor did ot old, these Fountaius [sic] praise.
An other now by's lines, their worth doth raise.
The first, them healthfull try'd, first gave their
name:
The second hath by verse, first prais*d their stream.
By great Cardanus name, famous these waters How;
By Alexanders verse, their fame shall ever grow.
P. J. Anderson.
FoRFARSHlRK. — In regard to Mr. Reid's
humorous complaint of my misnaming him and
misrepresenting his present place of abode, I
can only humbly apologise for my carelessness.
Had I taken the trouble to consult my own note-
books, I need not and ought not to have blun-
dered as I did. For I find Mr. Reid duly credited
there to his native town of Arbroath, and I
have also a satisfactory sketch of his career as
teacher and author in Edinburgh. Unfortun-
ately, however, when I was rewriting for Scottish
Notes and Queries an old lecture on Forfarshire,
as my memory failed me in regard to the exact
name of the author whose anthology I wished
to commend, and as the book in question was
no longer in my hands, I appealed to a literary
friend, a valued contributor to this journal, to
resolve my difficulties. He replied, "The name
of the author you want is Alan Stewart Bell
Reid, F.E.I.S." I searched no further, and
having rashly and wrongly concluded, without
any evidence, that my Mr. Reid was living in
Dundee, and not wishing to burden my paper
with the lengthened patronymic which Mr. Reid,
like myself, is entitled to wear, I dropped two
of his names and retained the other two that
seemed to me most euphonious and pleasing.
I have explained my error. I do not exculpate
myself, and I present Mr. Reid a thousand
apologies. W. B. R. W.
Dollar.
Forfarshire as a Factor in Scottish
Life and Thought. — In the interesting intro-
duction to the above by VV. B. R. W., I venture
to submit that a mistake has been made in
regard to George Paul Chalmers. There he is
stated to be "of Arbroath"; but the following
notice of him will be found in Chambers's "Bio-
graphical Dictionary" — "The Great of all Times
and Nations" — edited by David Patrick, LL.D.,
and Francis Hindcs Groome, 1899 : —
Chalmers, George Paul, R.S.A., was born at
Montrose in 1833 ; served as errand boy to a
surgeon, and apprentice to a ship chandler; but
in 1853 came to Edinburgh, and studied art under
Scott Lauder. Elected R.S.A. in 1871, he died
from accidental injuries 20th February, 1878. He
executed some important portraits. He is re-
presented in the National Gallery of Scotland by
" The Legend." See his ** Lives" by J. M. Gray
(1879) and Pinnington (i8g6).
I may add that I was told, some years ago, that
one of his first productions, done while he was
serving his apprenticeship as a ship chandler,
was then in the possession of representatives of
the ship chandler referred to.
Goodly bum, Perth.
J. E. Leighton.
Stone Coffin found at Leslie. —On
Tuesday, November 13, when a man was
ploughing on Mains of Leslie, the plough struck
a stone, which proved to be a Correen slab of
knotted schist, 3 in. thick, covering a stone
cofiin. On removing the lid the coffin was
found to be 3 ft. 6 in. long, 2 ft. 6 in. wide, and
I ft. 9 in. deep. The sides and ends were
formed of slabs set on ed^^e. The bottom was
paved with small stones, quite black, covered with
a layer of fine soft clay. In the cof!in there was
a large human skeleton, supposed to be that of
a man. Ths skull and other bones were in a won-
derfully good state of preservation, but the legs
seemed to have been detached from the body at
the thighs and laid alongside of it. At the left
side of the head there was an urn measuring 5^
in. across at the mouth, 3 in. at the bottom, and
9 in. deep, but, being imperfectly burned, it had
fallen down in fragments. It contained only a
little mould. It had been ornamented with
markings made, probably with a pointed stick,
when it was in a soft state. It would be inter-
esting to know whether the legs had been de-
tached before interment, or if the body had been
laid in the short grave with the knees bent up,
and if the legs had afterwards separated from
the body and had straightened out after decay
of the flesh and ligaments.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
89
ABERDONIANS ABROAD:
HENRY FARQUHARSON.
(Ut S.,IX., 35, 87, 145, 161; XII., 116; 2nd S.,
K., 7 J
In the Supplement to the " Biographie Uni-
verselle" issued in 1837, vol. lxiii.,p. 550, appears
the following notice : —
Farwharson, professeur de mathematiques,
&'est illustre en prenant une part active et impor-
tante aux creations de Pierre-le- Grand. En 1698,
il professait les mathematiques k Puniversit^ d' Aber-
deen, lorsque le czar vint visiter Londres. Le
prince, qui avait appris a le connaStre, Pen-
gagea a son service, et le conduisit k Moscou, ou
Farwharson fonda en 1701 une icole de marine, la
premiere que Ton ait connue en Russie. Cette
ecole fut ensuite subordonn^e k Tacad^mie de
marine fondee k Saint- Petersbourg en 17 15. L'in-
tendance g^n^rale de cette academic fut confiee au
comte F^odor Apraxin. Le baron Saint-Hilaire,
lieutenant-gdn^ral au service de France, en fut
nomm^ directeur. Farwharson y fut appel^, en
17 16, pour professeur les mathematiques. L'^cole
de marine quMl avait fond^ k Moscou y subsista
jusqu'en 1752, ^poque ou les professeurs et les
eleves furent transf^r^s k Saint- Petersbourg. Goli-
kof pense que Farwharson a introduit chez les
Russes Tusage des chifTres arabes. Cela parait
d*autant plus probable que, d'apres des actes
authentiques qui remontent jus^u*ii Tan 1715, les
Russes, dans le calcul, ne s^^taient servis jusqu*
alors que des caracteres slavons. Depuis 17 16
Farwharson resta jusqu'i sa mort attache k Tacad^-
mie de marine, en qualitd de professeur de mathe-
matiques. En 1737, il fut eieve au rang de briga-
dier dans Tarmee russe. 11 mourut au mois de
decembre, 1739.
Through the courtesy of Mr. William Sharpe
Wilson (M.A., Abd.), lecturer on English in the
University of St. Petersburg, I have been enabled
to identify the subject of this notice with Hary
Farquharson, who entered Marischal College
with a Milne bursary in 1691 ("Fasti Acad.
Marisc./' i., 267), and after graduation appears
to have held for a short time the Liddell mathe-
matical tutorship in the college. Mr. Wilson
has favoured me with translations of references
to Farquharson in Russian books : —
Henry Farquharson occupies a distinguished
place in the history of the foundation of our fleet.
A Briton by birth and a graduate of Aberdeen
University, he was taken into the Russian service
by Peter when he visited England in 1698, and
received two assistants, graduates of Christ
Church, Oxford, Stephen Gwyn and Richard Gries.
He was the first professor of mathematics and
navigation in Russia^ and during forty years the
chief instructor of our naval men. A man of
great learning, knowing the Russian, Latin, Eng-
lish, French, German, and Dutch languages; he
was a very hard worker, and did yeoman service
in the organisation of our fleet He wrote many
books on mathematics and navigation, and trans-
lated many others into Russian. He also prepared
a map of the Caspian Sea, etc. , on behalf of the
Admiralty Court.
The Admiralty Court, in recommending to the
Empress Anna loannovna Farquharson*8 promo-
tion to the rank of brigadier, wrote as follows in
their youmal. No. 945, on 8th March, 1737 : —
*' For his distinguished services on behalf of the
Empire, although no petition for promotion in
rank has been presented by him, he is worthy of
this reward, inasmuch as the study of m'Sthematics
was first introduced into Russia by him, and there
is hardly a single Russian subject in the fleet of
Her Imperial Majesty, from the highest to the
lowest, but has been taught navigation by him. "
Farquharson remained at the Moscow School of
Navigation until 17 16, and from that date until
his death, which took place in 1739, he was at the
St Petersburg Naval Academy. His library,
which consisted of 600 books, chiefly on mathe-
matics and navigation, in half-a-dozen different
languages, was principally bought by the Naval
Academy, and the proceeds of these, together
with the remaining volumes, was handed to his
heir, William Alexander, in Scotland, a nephew
according to some, a cousin according to other
accounts.
{Article by A, Skoloffin the '*Morskoj Sbornik,'*
or '* Naval Magazine" for Dec, 1856.)
In F. Veceolavo's " History of the Naval
Cadet Corps" (St Petersburg, 1852), there is
pointed out the great difference between Far-
quharson and many other foreigners in two re-
spects, firstly, his superior talents, and secondly,
his modest behaviour. The reward of £s^
promised him for every pupil completely trained
m nautical studies seems never to have been
paid, and the apartment in Moscow assigned at
first to this distinguished professor appears to
have been of the most modest kind, consisting
only of a scantily furnished room, which he
shared with his two assistants from Oxford.
At the recent University Quatercentenary
celebrations. Professor ScheviakofT, the spokes-
man of the Russian delegates, referred in ap-
preciative terms to the service Aberdeen had
rendered to Russia through the agency of Far-
quharson.
Mr. Kellas Johnstone conjectures from the
pre-name, Hary or Henry, that Farquharson
was a cadet of the house of AUargue. (*' Studies
in the History of the University/' p. 355.)
P. J. Anderson.
90
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[December, 1906
THE ARMS OF THE CITY OF
ABERDEEN.
Heraldry is a feudal institution originating in
the necessity of a leader of soldiers having some
means of letting his followers know him when
cased up in close armour. This was done by
making marks of different shapes and colours
upon his shield. As the shield is wider at the
top than the bottom, it was a custom to put the
mark three times on the shield, twice near the
top and once lower down. A leader who had
many men under him had an official who wore
a short-sleeved coat, like a chemise, above his
armour ; and this coat had the mark on the
breast, twice near the shoulders and once lower
down. Hence, three came to be counted the
number of perfection in heraldry.
There is no sign of heraldic markings in the
Bayeux tapestry, a roll of linen an eighth of a
mile long, depicting the history of the Norman
Conquest in 1066 ; none in representations of
events in the First Crusade (1095); but heraldry
had come into use before the Second (1146).
It began in Scotland when the sovereign gave
land to vassals to be held in return for military
service, say, in the reign of Alexander I. (1107-
II 24). Aberdeen is by all admitted to have
been made a burgh by David 1. (i 124- 11 53);
and a burgh was treated as a vassal, and bound
to furnish men for the national service at the
summons of the sovereign. A burgh, like any
landholder, was also bound, if the sovereign so
commanded, to build and man a castle or tower
of defence. There need be no doubt that a
place of this sort had been built at Aberdeen
very soon after it was made a burgh, though it
is not recorded in the early history of the town.
The soldiers had been provided with shields
and other armour at the expense of the town,
and the shield belonging to the provost, and
perhaps every shield, had been marked with a
device selected by the town council. There
was no need to invoke the crown to assist in
the ceremony of determining what was to be the
armorial mark of Aberdeen. There is no evi-
dence that the crown interfered in any heraldic
matter before 1592, though it is on record that
Robert I., as judge, settled a dispute in his
presence regarding arms. So long as the
vassals agreed among themselves, the crown
seems to have let them alone. In that year, an
Act of the Scotch Parliament was passed for
the registration of all arms or heraldic marks
then in use. Another, more stringent, was
passed in 1672, and since then no person can
acquire any right to a coat of arms not registered
then but by applying to the sovereign's heraldic
officer and getting it approved and registered
by him. Up to 1672, any person could assume
arms at his own hand if he did not trench on
the rights of others.
The arms or mark selected by any vassal was
also car\'ed on his seal, and hence it is from
ancient burgh seals that we learn anything
about the original arms of Aberdeen. An old
seal, in use by the burgh of Aberdeen in 1440, is
figured in Gordon's "Description of both Towns
of Aberdeen." It shows a tower with a pro-
jecting walk and a battlement round the top,
where armed men could stand and defend the
tower ; and a short tower, also having a walk
and battlement, rising out of the top of the other.
This mark had been originally selected by
Aberdeen because it had a fortified place, and
was therefore better than some other towns
which had not a castle. Only one double tower
is shown on the seal, but on a shield there would
have been two above and one below.
In 1673 ^ Convention Act was passed by
which all burghs were ordered to register arms.
Some may have had arms before, some not ;
but that is of no importance. The Lord Lyon,
the heraldic officer, would have registered any
arms old or new presented to him, provided the
design had been heraldically correct and not
already registered on behalf of another. The
Aberdeen shield shows a double line round it,
ornamented with what ai'e supposed to be lily
flowers; and this is called the royal tressure,
because it is the border of the shield of Scot-
land. It is argued that the royal licence had
been of necessity given to Aberdeen to use this
ornamental border. But this is a myth. If the
Lord Lyon had thought this an encroachment
on the royal shield, he would not have registered
it unless Aberdeen had been able to produce a
licence from the crown. But this tressure seems
to have been adopted by anyone without re-
straint. It is seen round the arms of Bishop
Gavin Dunbar in the south transept of 3t
M achat church.
The arms registered for in 1674 Aberdeen
are described as being three towers triple-
towered, within the double tressure, supported
by two leopards. This is evidently the same as
before, but out of the second tower rises a third,
because three is the favourite heraldic number.
A coloured drawing of the arms may have
bc:en got at the same time on paying a fee to an
officer of the Lyon's Court, but it is of no legal
force.
It seems that two mistakes were made by the
painter or draughtsman of the arms of Aber-
deen, one in making one of the supporters face
Vol VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
91
the shield and one face the observer. On a
representation to the Lyon, the law was laid
down that the supporters must both fece the
shield unless it were otherwise expressed in the
written description. The other mistake is in
interpreting triple-towered to mean a tower with
three small turrets on the top. The towers had
been intended to be an expansion of the former
double tower. The description of the arms as
usually shown would be three towers triple-
turreted. To answer the registered description
the Aberdeen arms would need to show three
towers, each composed of three sections and all
the sections provided with a walk and battle-
ment. TIhe sections might be all of the same
diameter, or the second might be less than the
first, and the third less than the second.
John Milne, LL.D.
4c
Laurence Cockburn. — Perhaps it may in-
terest Mr. Robert Murdoch (whose note on Lord
Cockburn reviewing Volunteers I read in your
July number) to learn that Laurence Cockburn,
a son of that fine old judge, died in Australia
through misadventure. He had been engaged
in the squatting business, and resided in Brigh-
ton, a marine suburb eight miles distant from
Melbourne. Returning home one afternoon, he
took the wrong medicine, a liniment used out-
wardly by his wife, who suffered from rheumatism.
He died from the effects, and is buried in the
North Brighton cemetery, with this inscription
on a stone : — " In Memory of Laurence Cock-
burn. Born February 15, 1822. Died Septem-
ber 2, 1 87 1. Also two sons, Frederick and Guy
Cockburn." An inquest was held, and it was
stated there that he was forty-nine years of age,
and the fourth son of Lord Cockburn of Edin-
burgh, a Scottish judge. Verdict: "Death from
the effects of poison taken accidentally and in-
advertently." I visited the cemetery recently,
and saw the stone. It is equidistant from the
tombs of the Australian poet Adam Lindsay
Gordon (of Aberdeenshire lineage), suicide, 24th
June, 1870, aged 37, and that erected to the
Rev. John Lcgge, M.A., for eleven years pastor
of the Biighton Congregational Church, died
30th November, 1878, aged 42. He was one of
three distinguished brothers, all ministers, and
sons of Ebenezer Le^ge, of Huntly, Aberdeen-
shire, the others being Rev. George Legge,
LL.D., died at Leicester in January, 1861, and
the Rev. James Legge, D.D., the great Chinese
scholar, professor in Oxford University, died
29th November, 1897. Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
A Curious Prophecv Fulfilled.— We
extract the following from the Daily News of
1868 : — "Some credit is due to Scotchmen in
that the Archbishop of Canterbury having now
for some weeks been raised to his high place,
they have not pressed upon our notice the fact
that he is a Scotchman. Whenever a Scot
attains to a great position in England, we
generally are made to know unmistakably that
he is a Scotchman, and sometimes even it is
suggested that his success is due to the fact of
his nationality. That the Primate is a Scotch-
man has come to be talked and written about in
connection with a curious ancient prophecy.
In an epilogue delivered at the Globe Theatre
in 1601 by Richard Burbage there occurred the
following sentences : —
A Scot our King ? The limping state
That day must need a crutch.
What next ? In time a Scot will prate
As Primate of our Church.
When such shall be, why then you'll see —
That day it will be found
The Saxon, down through London Town,
Shall burrow under ground.
Has it not come true? Dr. Tait is Archbishop
of Canterbury, and we travel about London
underground."
(Studies.
792. Gordon House Academy, Kentish Town,
London. — Mr. Clench, in his ''Marylebone to St.
Pancras" (p. 161), refers to
Mr. Alexander Mensall.who for fifty yean kept the (vonloti
House Academy at Kentish Town, used to walk with his
pupils once a week to St. Chads to drink the waters as a
means of keeping the doctor out of the house.
Why was his school called Gordon House ?
J. M. B.
793. Edith Aitken. — In looking over the **Green-
Room Book" for 1906, I do not see the name of a
Scottish actress, Miss Edith Aitken, of Glasgow.
She visited Australia and New Zealand in the sixties
of last century, and appeared in several plays, es-
pecially in '* Jessie Brown, or The Relief of Luck-
now," taking the part of the Highland heroine. On
her benefit night she recited Collins' *' Ode on the
Passions," wim living illustrations by members of
the theatrical staff. I thought it an intellectual treat
at the time, and think so still, for she was an excel-
lent elocutionist, and a great favourite with the
Scottish contingent here. Is the lady still alive?
If gone to '* that undiscovered country," would some
correspondent kindly give the date of such exodus ?
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
92
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[December, 1906
794. David Lyndsay.— In 1822 there was pub-
lisned at Edinburgh a very interesting volume of
plays, entitled " Dramas of the Ancient World,'* by
Ljmdsay. He was no common writer, for he dedi-
cated his book to the spirit of iCschylus in a strain
of lofty verse. The dramas are on the Deluge,
Sardanapalus, Plague of Darkness, Destiny of Cain,
Rizpah, etc., and in a prefatory note he stated
that his dramas were written long before those by
Lord Byron were announced. The book was printed
in Edinburgh, and published by Blackwood. He
contributed to BlacKWood*s Magazine a poem on
the '* Death of Isaiah." Who was this writer, who
adopted a name already occupied in Scottish poesy ?
Mr. Ralston Inglis in his booklet, '*The Dramatic
Writers of Scotland" (Glasgow, 1868), considers
that " David Lyndsay" was merely a worn de plume ^
but gives no clue to the writer's identity. Perhaps
it may be in Halkett's "Dictionary of Pseudonymous
Authors," but I have no access to that work. I
think "David Lyndsay" was a clergyman, who,
warned by the adverse fate of John Home and John
Logan, withheld his real name, and now is probably
'* lapped in oblivion." Alba.
7P5. "Coxswain Johnnie." — From forty to fifty
years ago a song, with the above title, was common
and popular in Forfarshire. It seems to have fallen
quite out of sight, possibly v/ith good reason ; but I
would much like to have the full text of a song that
tempts and evades my memory most pertinaciously.
Perhaps some reader may possess it, or may recall it
from the first verse, which is all I am able to quote: —
Ye've heard o' Coxswain Johnnie,
A tailor frae Dundee,
Oaed a' the wye to Aiberdeen
To hand a Chris-i-maB spree ?
To hand a Chris-l-mas spree,
And cut an unco dash,
Wi' seven pounds o' siller,
A' in ready cash.
The tailor's further adventures were humorously
detailed, and the words were sung to a very fine air
which I recollect perfectly, and can supply to any
one interested. Alan Reid.
796. Robert Gordon of Xeres de la Fron-
TERA. — Robert Gordon of Xeres de la Frontera is
reported in the Scots Magazine for August, 1796
(Vol. 58, p. 576), to have married Miss Rudyard,
daughter of Major Rudyard, commanding the En-
gineers in Scotland. Again, in March 13, 1827,
Maria del Rosario Gordon, only daughter of the late
Robert Gordon of Xeres de la Frontera, was married
at Sheatham Castle to A. Macduff Baxter, Attorney-
General of New South Wales. (Gentleman^ 5 Maga-
zine^ Vol. 97, part I, p. 362. ) Who was this Gordon ?
I find no trace of him in the Wardhouse pedigree.
J. M. B.
797. Ramsay op Abbotshall and Wauohton.
— Can anyone help to elucidate the following genea-
log^ical problem ? Most authorities give only two
generations of Sir Andrew Ramsays, whereas it
would appear that there were really three, viz.: —
1. Sir Andrew Ramsay of Abbotshall, Kt. ; born
c. 1620, died at Abbotshall, 17th January, 1688.
Provost of Edinburgh, who married, 1641, Janet
Craw, by whom he had a numerous family. He
appears to have purchased Abbotshall, Fife, from
the Scotts of Balweery.
2. Sir Andrew Ramsay of Waughton, Bart., son
of the above ; born 24th December, 1648; died v. p.
1680. He married (ist) the heiress of Hepburn of
Waughton, and (2nd), c. 1675, Lady Anne Mont-
gomery. Was created a baronet 1669, and was
M.P. for North Berwick 1669-74.
3. Sir Andrew Ramsay of Abbotshall and Waugh-
ton, Bart.; born c. 1675, probably by the second
marriage, and died s.p. 1709, when he was succeeded
in Abbotshall by his (?) nephew, Andrew Ramsay,
said to be a grandson of the laird of Woodstone in
Kincardineshire.
On the death of Sir Andrew (No. 2) in 1680, Sir
Andrew (No. i) was served tutor to his grandson. Sir
Andrew No. 3. But when in the same year No. 3
was served heir to his father of Waugton, it was in
the lands of Abbotshall, from which it would appear
that Sir Andrew No. i must have resigned these
lands to the favour of his son some years previously ?
Sir Andrew (No. 3) in 1696, presumably when he had
come of age, was served heir to his grandfather, who
had died in 1688. What was the exact descent from
the Balmain stock of the Mr. Andrew Ramsay who
succeeded to the estates of the last baronet in 1709 ?
His grandson James claimed the baronetcy of Bal-
main on the failure of heirs male in 1806, and had
himself served heir male general to his cousin, Sir
Gilbert, the first baronet (died 1628), from which it
would appear that his direct ancestor, Mr. Andrew
Ramsay of Woodston (1574-1659), minister of Grey-
friars 1614, was a brother of the said Sir Gilbert,
and not of David his father, as given in Playfair's
•* Baronetage.'* H. A. Pitman.
65 Cambridge Terrace,
Hyde Park, W.
798. The Grants op Auchannachy.— John
Leslie, fourth son of John Leslie, 6th laird of Kinin-
vie, is stated to have married Helen Grant of Auch-
annachy. Where is Auchannachy, and what is
known of the descendants of this marriage ? John
is, it appears, mentioned in the Deed of Entail of
of the Kininvie estate of 1730 as "in Torber," pre-
sumably the " Torbay" of today, and situate at no
great distance from the House of Kininvie. From
the deed it also appears that John had daughters.
Perhaps some reader versed in the Kininvie p^igrte
will be good enough to give their names, and any
other particulars respecting John's family.
H. D. McW.
799. Mr. George Caw, Printer, Hawick.—
Can any of your numerous readers furnish me with
information regarding this individual, who introduced
a printing-press into Hawick about 1782? There
were quite a number of books published by him
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
93
notably " The Poetical Museum " in 1784. This is
one of the earliest and most interesting of the
Hawick-printed books bearing his imprint, and which
contained many of the Border ballads afterwards
included by Sir Walter Scott in his *• Minstrelsy of
the Scottish Border," published in 1802-3. The
historians of Hawick are strangely silent regarding
him. James Wilson, in his '* Annals of Hawick,"
merely mentions that *'in this [1782], or the pre-
ceding year, a printing- press was introduced by Mr.
George Caw. One of its earliest productions was
' The Poetical Museum,' containing, amongst others,
* Eskdale,* a poem by the late Thomas Telford,
engineer, published in 1784. This was followed, in
1786, by Dr. Charters of Wilton's * Sermons.* " A
friend has drawn my attention to the fact that
George Caw, printer, Edinburgh, appears in list of
subscribers' names to " Sermons on Various Im-
portant Subjects," Vol. II., by the Rev. John Young
(of Hawick), printed in Edinburgh in 1780. If this
was the same printer, it would appear that he had
established a press in Edinburgh previous to the one
in Hawick, and both carried on simultaneously — the
former, I believe, till 1822. I shall feel grateful for
any information that will throw light on his history,
particularly the period dealing with his connection
with Hawick.
Hassendean, James Sinton.
Eastfield, Joppa.
800.— Prince Charlie's Persian Horse.— I
am in possession of an old copper engraving en-
titled ** The Marbled Persian belonging to the Cheva-
lier's Eldest Son." Roughly, the picture represents
a white horse with marks on shoulders and haunches,
the horse being held by the reins by a Persian, and
in the background a gentleman in Persian dress.
The imprint bears : " Newcastle : Printed and Sold
by Joseph Barber. According to Act of Parliament."
Can any reader give information about this particular
horse ? I have no recollection of ever seeing any
mention of a Persian horse belonging to Prince
Charlie, whom I take to be the Chevalier's eldest
son. The horse might, however, have belonged to
the eldest son of some other Chevalier.
New York. W. M. M.
answers.
319. Gordon, Garmouth (2nd S., V., 13, 46,
50). — The following outline pedigree is compiled
from various sources, including a genealogical tree
drawn up by Major -General Alexander H. A. Gordon
(who died in 1893), and now in the possession of
Mr. John Allan, Birch Cottage, Elgin. William
Gordon of Arradoul, second son of Alexander Gordon
of Buckie, had a natural son, William Gordon, in
Lunan ("House of Gordon," i., 64). William
Gordon in Lunan, in the parish of Speymouth, died
before May, 1671 (*• Brodie Diaries," p. 313). He
married Marjorie Dunbar, who survived him, and
had at least three sons, Alexander, James, and
Robert.
I. Alexander Gordon, merchant in Garmouth, and
also called *' Briggs," "of Briggs," or " Bridges,"
died before June 15, 1689. He married Agnes
Dunbar, who survived him, and had at least the fol-
lowing children (the order is not chronological) : —
1. Alexander, merchant in Garmouth and Elgin,
also called " Briggs," or "of Briggs."
2. William, merchant in Edinburgh, who died
before November 8, 17 10, leaving a widow,
Elizabeth Horsburgh.
3. Thomas, watchmaker, Edinburgh, who died
in 1743-
4. Patrick, watchmaker, Edinburgh, who died
in 1749.
5. George.
6. Robert.
7. Archibald.
8. Anna, who married (as his second wife) Rev.
George Cumming, minister of Essill.
9. Margaret, who married William Geddes,
merchant in Elgin.
II. James Gordon got a wadset over Lunan in 1676,
and died in 1684, unmarried.
III. Robert Gordon, born February 11, 1655, mer-
chant in Garmouth, succeeded his brother James
in the wadset over Lunan in 1684. The wadset
was redeemed in 1710, and thereafter Robert
Gordon was tenant of Lunan. He married (i) on
October 7, 1679, Christian, daughter of William
Winchester in Kinnedor, and by her had William,
Christian, and Janet ; and (2) on February 3, 1687,
Barbara, daughter of Alexander Gordon in Kinn-
edor, and sister of Alexander Gordon of Dykeside
in Birnie. By Barbara Gordon he had at least
two daughters— Jean, who married, June 4, 1739,
Francis Lafleche, merchant in Aberdeen ; and
Elizabeth, who married, November 21, 1723,
William Harrald in Dallas) and had a daughter,
Anfiie, who married (as his second wife) Alexander
Forsyth, merchant in Elgin, and had two sons,
Joseph Forsyth, M.A., King's College, Aberdeen,
1779, author of "Travels in Italy;" and Isaac
Forsyth, Bookseller, Elgin— and at least two sons,
Alexander and James.
1. Alexander, born November 17, 1687, W.S.,
acquired Cairnfield and Arradoul, Banffshire,
and became ancestor of the present Gordons
of Cairnfield.
2. James, merchant in Garmouth, married, July
9, 1728, Margaret, daughter of John Cruick-
shank, Auchmadies, Boharm, chamberlain to
the Laird of Grant He died, November 8,
1765, aged 69, and his widow died, September
26, 1793, aged 85. They had eight sons and
three daughters. Of the daughters, Helen
died unmarried ; Anne married James Allan,
Garmouth, and (with other children) had a
daughter, Helen, who married Rev. James
Gillan, minister of Speymouth, and had issue ;
94
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[December, 1906
and Clementina married Rev. John Falconer,
minister of Stromness, and had issue. Six of the
sons died without issue, including the eldest,
Thomas, watchmaker in New York. Peter
married and had issue. William, the youngest
son, born February i, 1752, M.A., King's
College, Aberdeen, 1771, ordained to be
missionary at Enzte, 1776, and translated to
the parish of Elgin, 1784, died at Elgin,
September 19, 1837. He married, August 8,
1793, Catherine, daughter of James Brodie
of Muiresk, and by her (who died, October 24,
1840) he had six sons and five daughters. All
the daughters died unmarried except Anne,
who married Rev. John Allan, ministerof Peter-
culter, and had a son, John, M.A., Birch
Cottage, Elgin. All the sons died unmarried
except Alexander, who was Sheriff- Substitute
of Sutherland, and died at Toronto, March
14, 1870, and who married Augusta Wall is,
and had four sons and four daughters. Olf
the Sherriff- Substitute's sons, Major-General
Alexander Herman Adam Gordon died on
February 16, 1893, leaving issue.
Boharm. S. R.
347. English County Anthology (2ndS.,V.,
62, 79, 94, no, 124, 142; VI., 12, 30; Vn., 79,
174). — The Publishers' Circular of July 28, this year,
makes the following announcement : — " Mr. William
Andrews, of the Royal Institution in Hull, is writing
for early publication a volume on the * Poets and
Poetry of Lincolnshire.' It will include notes and
examples of the poetry of the Wesleys, the Tenny-
sons, Jean Ingelow, Thomas Miller, Thomas Cooper,
January Searle, and many more authors, living and
dead, who have enriched the literature of the country
with poetical contributions. Mr. Andrews is favour-
ably known as the author of * Modem Yorkshire
Poets,' ' North Country Poets,' and * Modern Merry
Men.'" Robert Murdoch.
684. Mr. D. McGregor Peter (2nd S., VII.,
102, 127, 157). — I regret my inability to give **Alba"
the exact date of ** Dancie Peter's" death, but he
(and others) may be interested in these particulars
regarding him. In my younger days Mr. Peter was
a well-known personage in the Forfar, Kirriemuir,
and Tannadice districts, and I remember well the
long grey beard, the faded surtout, and the green
6ddle bag of the dancing master. He was credited,
rather erroneously, with poetic ability. The ballad
of "The Rose-a-Lyndsaye" somehow came to be
attributed to him, mainly, as is clearly presumable,
through varied genealogical studies in which the
Lindsay family was prominent. As every student
knows, ** The Rose-a-Lyndsaye" was the work of
that Aberdeen genius, William Forsyth, and was
written almost impromptu, to show how easily the
style and feeling of the Old Ballad might be repro-
duced. It is printed in his " Idylls and Lyrics,"
1872 — see *' Bards of Angus and the Mearns "
(p. 605). D. McGregor Peter's magnum opus was
a ** Baronage of Angus and the Mearns," which gave
so much offence, or was so crudely candid to the
families concerned, that it was "suppressed," and
now ranks as a scarce and dear book.
Alan Reid.
7x9. The Name Bodie (2nd S., VII., 156).—
The undernoted will doubtless be of interest to the
present-day descendants. The list is extracted from
the Poll Book of 1696, and contains the references
which should prove useful: —
Volume I.
Parish of Pbtrrhbad. Whtthill.
551. James Boddie and WlllUm Donald, herds, non of
them of sixteen years of age, tney get of fee
£2 13s. 4d., the fortieth pairt is Is. 4d., and 6s. of
geuerall poll is 78 4<1.
551. James Bodie, shoemaker, for his trade 68., of generall
poll 6b 12s.
TORTBRSTOUNE.
564. Alexander Watt, tennent ther, his proporttone of
valued rent is £1 2s., of generall poll is 6s.
£1 &. Od.
Helen Bodie. his spouse, her generall poll is 6s
555. William Boddie, grassman, and his wife (no children
poleable) l^.
Town of Peterhxad. Dens.
568. Margrat Bodie, ther 6s.
570. George Clark, tailer, for himself and tratle, And for
his wife, Isobell Bodie (no children poUable, nor
servants) 6b.
LONQSIDB. ENBRQUHOMRRT-.
592. Katherin Body, grasswoman, generall poll . 6s.
Parish of Deer. Achhaoher.
611. John Boddie, grassman, and his wife . . 12i.
Bank Behitoh.
628. Gilbert Bodie, gairdner, and his wife . . IBs.
aff
Helen Bodie, his sister 6b.
Milne op Skelmurb and Corthioran.
633. Patrick Bodie, fee and poll 12i.
Volume II.
Parish of Fraserbctrgh.
92. Gilbert Boddie, in Fingask, for Bessie Cumniing his
wife 6b
Parish of Crui>en. Ashallo.
125. John Bob, tennent ther, of free stock of 500 merks
£2 16b. Od.
Jean Boddie, his spouse 6b.
Parish of Foyerake.
151. James Bodie, tennent ther, is . . . .3b.
KIRKHILL.
157. William Bodie, tra>lesman, and his wife, poll is IBs.
Matnbs of Foyer an e.
159. James Bo<lie, tennent ther, his proportlnne of the
valuatione. with the generall poll is . . 9s.
Item, his wife, her poll is 6t.
North Culter Cullen.
162. George Bodie, servant, his foe Is £8 per annum, the
fortieth pairt whereof and generall poll is . lOs.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES. AND QUERIES
95
Matms or Knock HALL.
163l Alexander Bodie, in Mnyns of Knockhall ifl
St.
FORNBTIB.
167. James Bodle, servant, fee £26 per annum, poll 14s. 8d.
Parish of Tarvss. Craigiib or Shrithin.
189. Christian Boddy, cottar 68.
Metklb Ythsib.
197. Agnes Boddy, for fee and generall poll
PARISH or Ellon.
243. Beatrix Body, sponse to John Ghrystle.
255. Thomas Cooper, taylor, and Barbara Body
10s. 6il.
6i.
IBs.
Parish of Druhblatb. Kirktounb.
268. Christian Bodie, fee is 9 merlcB, fortieth part and
generall poll is 9s.
Parish of old Maohar.
502. John Bodie (tennent in Balgounie) . 8s. 4d.
James Bodie, tennent (In Balgounie in Morcar), and
Elizabeth watt, his spouse (no children, no servants)
12s.
564. John Bodie, shoemaker, and his wife (no chyld, etc.),
of poll 18s.
Mr. John Stuart, in his prefatory notice to the Poll
Book, remarks that in some districts of the county
with which he is more immediately acquainted,
the sameness occurring now in the names of per-
sons, in the same districts, contained in the record
of 1696, is very striking. In regard to one parish,
where a pretty full list of the inhabitants has en-
titled him to make a like comparison at a period
nearly sixty years previous to the date of the Poll
Book, the similarity of names is equally remarkable.
Many of our yeomen have continued in the localities,
which have been the home of their forefathers, for
centuries, and nothing but the destruction of our
ecclesiastical records prevents this class of our popu-
lation from tracing their extraction back to a very
considerable antiquity. *' It is needless to remark,"
says Mr. Stuart, *' how much of the national charac-
ter may be traced to the hereditary attachment of
the most important part of our population to particu-
lar localities. . . As the Poll Book was more
especially a book of reference, considerable care was
taken in the preparation of the indices of places and
names, keeping in view their genealogical and etymo-
logical importance." (Vol. I., xiii.-xiv.)
Robert Murdoch.
769. Henry Shanks (2nd S., VIII., 79).— I
regret that " S " should have made the mistake of
stating that my old friend " is no longer alive." He
is very much so, as the Editor will allow when he
reads a post card received by me from him this very
week. I hope to see Harry soon, and to have a
laugh with him over his premature departure.
Alan Reid.
782. Byron and the Plain op Marathon (2nd
S., VIII., 77). — Byron was in Greece towards the
close of the year 1809, reaching Athens on Christ-
mas day. He remained about three months in the
city, and visited various places of interest in the
neighbourhood, among them the Plain of Marathon.
Sometime about the beginning of 1810, the Plain
was offered him for a nominal sum. Professor
Nichol (Byron, "English Men of Letters" series,
p. 61) observes that "the Plain (of Marathon) is
said to have been placed at his disposal for about
the same sum that thirty years later an American
volunteered to give for the bark with his name on
the tree at Newstead." S.
783. Sir James Horn Burnett's Challenge
BuoLE (2nd S., VIII., 77). — This query seems self-
explanatory. Sir James Horn Burnett, who died in
1876, presented a " challenge bugle " to the Kincar-
dineshire Rifle Volunteers in 1864. In course of
time, I understand, the Kincardineshire battalion
was amalgamated with the 5th (Deeside Highland)
V.B. Gordon Highlanders, whose headquarters are
at Banchory. Naturally, the bugle followed the
fortunes of the battalion to which it belonged, and
is now preserved in Aberdeenshire. For the con-
ditions on which the bugle was originally g^ven, one
would need to consult the files of some newspaper
(perhaps an Aberdeen newspaper) circulating in
Kincardineshire in 1864. W.
784. Rhyme on Snuff (2nd S., VIII., 77). —
I have often heard a Forfar rhyme which has a close
affinity to the lines quoted by Robert Murdoch. It
was attributed, locsdly, to "Doctor" Edwards, a
chemist who was a great snuffer, and who said in
praise of snuff : —
It clears the eyes, It cleans the nose,
And mak's the brains to knack ;
Noo, isna that a fine thing
For any man to tak' ?
I do not recollect having seen these lines in print,
and those quoted by R. M. are also fresh to me.
Alan Reid.
Mr. Robert Murdoch has done- well to print this
rhyme which, however small its literary merit, is
worth being remembered. I heard it, or something
very like it, many years ago, but never before read
it in print. It was repeated in my hearing, along
with a rhyme on tobacco similar, I think, to that
given in Chambers*s '* Popular Rhymes." Rhymes
on snuff appear to be rather uncommon. Does Mr.
Murdoch know any more ? Senex.
786. ** Rosy-fingered Morn" (2nd S., VIII.,
77). — The glee, " Hail, Smiling Morn," was one of
six, iirst issued in 1799. Like Mr. Alan Reid, I
have failed to discover the author of the words, and
do not find them mentioned in several dictionaries
of quotations to which I have referred. Readers
will observe that the ideas conveyed in the four lines
quoted, as well as the words themselves, while
essentially poetical, are at the same time extremely
common in the works of some of our earlier poets.
Such expressions as "smiling morn," " tips the hills
with gold," "rosy fingers," "ope the gates of day,"
96
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES [December, 1906
" gay face of Nature,*' " darkness flies away," occur
repeatedly in cognate forms, sometimes in the very
words of the glee, in the pages of Shakespeare and
Milton. This leads to the conclusion that the lines
quoted are rather a clever bit of literary craftsman-
ship than a poem independently inspired. May one
not suggest, therefore, that Reginald Spoiforth
(1768-1827), the composer of the music, was also
responsible for the words of the glee ?
W. S.
787. A " Scots Review" of 1774 (2nd S.,VIII.,
78).— That the publication referred to was a jeu
(Vesprit and not a periodical is established by
Lowndes, who has an entry to the following effect: —
*'A specimen of the Scots Review, Edinburgh, 1774,
i2mo. A clever y^tt d* esprit consisting of 30 pages,
without printer or publisher*s name.*' W. S.
788. The Murder op Two Sons of Gordon of
Ellon (2nd S., VIII., 53, 78).— The note was taken
mainly from N, 6* Q., January 7, i860, and partly
from the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland.
For Edinburgh Courant read ScoVs Courant.
J. M.
789. " Esconse " (2nd S., VIII., 78).— The word
"esconse" is not given in Jamieson's abridged
** Scottish Dictionary," though not uncommon in
the vernacular speech of Scotland. It is merely,
however, a corrupt form of the English word " en-
sconse.
((
W.
A.M." is in error in spelling the word he quotes
as he has done. It ought to be ** ensconce." So
spelt it is a good English word, found in Shak-
speare, in Butler's ** Hudibras," Sir Walter Scott,
Washington Irving, Bulwer Lytton, Miss Mulock.
and many other authors. Dr. Murray, in his *' New
English Dictionary," gives an explanation of its etymo-
logy. He says it is derived from the prefix "en," which,
when placed before a substantive, has the general
sense "to put (something) into or on" what the
latter member indicates. Placed, therefore, before
the substantive " sconce," which means a small
fortification or earthwork, it comes to mean, among
other senses which I shall not enumerate, *' to
establish in a place or position for the purpose of
security, comfort, snugness," etc. For example,
Dickens has the phrase, * ' Esconcing themselves in
the warm chimney-corner." I have little doubt if
•• H. M." looks up either the " Imperial" or "The
Twentieth Century" Dictionaries, he will find the
word " ensconce." " Esconse " must be a misprint
Dollar. W. B. R. W.
790. Brompton Oratory Design (2nd S.,VIII.,
78). — Without presuming to grapple with this query,
I would like to ask if " Mr. Andrew J. Gordon,
architect," is identical with " R. J. Gordon, 41
Grafton Street, Fitzroy Square," an artist who ex-
hibited one picture-subject in the Royal Academy in
1887. For at least three years previously he had
pictures hung in the same place. My impression is
that the names do not indicate the same person, but
the coincidence of name and time of exhibition is
somewhat peculiar. Might not a Royal Academy
Exhibition Catalogue for 1887 give the name of the
Roman Catholic church designed by Mr. Gordon ?
W.
79X. Fbtterangus (2nd S.,VIII., 78). —I incline
to believe that James Ferguson of Pitfour, an emi-
nent lawyer and Lord of Session, was the purchaser
of Fetterangus estate in 1757. He was the father
of James Ferguson of Pitfour, who for many years
represented Aberdeenshire in Parliament.
W.
Scots Xoofts of tbe Aontb.
Camle, William. Further Aberdeen Remini.
scences : Social, Civic, and Personal Pencillings
of the Granite City. Vol. 3. Portrait. Net,
3s. 6d. and 5s. Aberdeen University Press.
Qraham, B. Maxtone, and Pater^on, E. True
Romances of Scotland. 8vo. Net, 5s.
Blackwood.
Hanie-Brown, J. A., P.R.S.H., F.Z.5. A
Fauna of the Tay Basin and Strathmore. With
21 Full-Page Plates and 5 Maps. Small 4to. Net,
2 IS. David Douglas.
Henderson, T. F. The Auld Ayrshire of Robbie
Burns. 10 Illustrations in Colour. 8vo. Net,
2S. 6d. Edinburgh : T. N. Foulis.
Lang, Andrew. A History of Scotland from the
Roman Occupation. Fourth and Concluding
Volume. With Photogravure Frontispiece of the
Old Pretender. Demy 8vo. Net, 15s.
Blackwood.
Orrock, James, and Crockett, W. S. On the
Border County. Edited by W. Shaw Sparrow.
23 Illustrations in Colour. 4to. Net, 7s. 6d.
Hodder & Stoughton.
5ldgwlck, Frank. Popular Ballads of the Old
Time: Third Series. With Map oi the Border
Country. Fcap. 8vo. Net, 3s. 6d.
London: A. H. Bullen.
NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.
All communications should be accompanied by an
identifying name and address. As publication day
is the 25th of each month, copy should be in a few
days earlier. Ed.
Printed and Published at The Rosemounl Pren, Aberdeen.
Literary communications should be addressed to the Sditor,
23 Osborne Place. A))erdeen; Advertisements and Business
Letters to the Publishers, Farmer's Hall Lane, Aoerdeen.
SCOTTISH
NOTES AND QUERIES.
VOL. vin. "I Kn 'T
2nd skribbJ i^^« /•
January, 1907.
itEGIflTEBEDlgfSpMi
Post 4d.
CONTENTS.
Nom :— Paoi
Rats and Orapes 97
Bibliographj of Aberdeen Periodicals 98
' • A Happy English Child " 100
" Sawney iBeane" 101
Alexander Gordon, Executed at Brest 102
** Brodtes, Lawiances, and Murdochs in 1745 103
Aberdonians Abroad : Henry Karquharson 103
Forfarshire as a Factor In Scottish Life and Thought 106
Macpherson Letters 105
A 'Bibliography of Edinburgh Periodical Literature 107
MiNOK Notes:—
Father Archangel 97
Forfarshire as a Factor In Scottish Life and Thought 99
The Birthplace of George Rfdpath 100
Iriahmen with Norman Names 102
'llie Heir Male of the Lords Forbes of Pltsligo—
Eliza Inverarlty— Rhyme on Gold 104
The Burnet Bursaries at A1)erdeen— Alierdeen Arms 109
Htm Room. 110
Qitkribs I
The Gordons of Carroll— Mrs. Gordon of Craig— Dr.
Ocirge Bethune— " Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush"
—"A Quid New Tear to Ane an' A'"— The High-
land Independent Companies 110
AIVSWKRS :—
Lawrance Subscribers to James Fordyue's Hymns,
1787 James Murdoch, Author— Rhyme on Snuff-
Gordon UoQ8e;Acadeoiy, Kentish Town 110
Bdith Aitken— Darid Lyndsay— " Coxswain Johnnie"
—Robert Gordon of Xeree de la (Yontera— Ramsay
of Abbotshall and Waughton— The Grants of
Auchannachy— Mr. George Caw, Printer, Hawick 111
Prince Charlie's Persian Horse 112
Literature U2
Soots Books o f thr Month 1 12
ABERDEEN, JANUARY, igcq,
RATS AND GRAPES.
Dr. Milne's note in your July number on foxes
eating berries interested me somewhat, for it
put me in mind of the early fabulists, i^sop,
Pha;dnis, and Pilpay, with the versified
transcripts of Gay and La Fontaine in our old
school books. Whether foxes actually eat
grapes when they have a chance of doing so
is more than I can affirm, but I can assure Dr.
Milne that here, in Australia, rats eat grapes
with avidity, for 1 have disturbed them when
" on the job." I had an old vine in my garden
at Hotham (now called North Melbourne), on
which I had annually large bunches of sweet-
water grapes, some about a foot in length, and
only depending a short distance from the ground.
I had observed in the morning some shredded
bits of green stuff lying about, and imagined
that the damage was done by birds, which are
a great cross to the Australian fruit-grower.
However, one moonlight night I went out to see
if the back-gate was properly fastened, and when
I passed the vine there was a great rustle : fully
a dozen rats jumped down from the branches
and scampered off. The mystery was explained :
the light green shreds were the skins of the
berries which they rejected. The lower branches
were all nibbled. I set an old iron-toothed trap
near the place, and caught several rats ; but one
morning I could not see the trap, it having been
dragged down a hole. There was a stout cord
attached to it, and when I pulled at it something
resisted, but eventually I wrenched it up, with
the leg of a rat torn from its body attached to it.
This bleeding and shrieking wretch coming
amongst the rat community under my house
must have effectualljr scared them, for they all
evacuated the premises, and I was no longer
bothered with them. I was apprehensive that
the dismembered rodent would die under the
house, necessitating the raising of the flooring-
boards to remove it, as such contingencies
frequently happen in rat-infested dwellings,
but it did not, for, some months afterwards, in
cleaning out a broken ventilator near the ground,
I discovered the mummified carcase of a three-
legged rat, evidently the victim of the iron-
jawed decoy. I left it in its own place of
sepulture, as an object lesson for enterprising
rodents in quest of new quarters. They never
came back.
Melbourne, Australia.
Alba,
Father Archangel.— Mr. Voynich, of
Shaftesbury Avenue, whose second-hand cata-
logues are so admirably done, is offering for 1 5s.
Rmuccini's " II Cappuccino Scozzese,** second
edition, published in Rome in 1645. He points
out that the British Museum Catalogue has a
note with regard to the Bologna edition, stating
that the book " purports to be a life of George
Leslie.'' The \Iuseum itself has not a copy of
this Rome edition, and Mr. Voynich says it is
not mentioned in Haym, Brunet, Descbamps,
Ebert, or Graesse. The first edition appeared
in 1644.
98
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[January, 1907
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ABERDEEN
PERIODICALS.
(Continued from 2nd S., VIII., p. 8.)
1 830. The A berdeen Independent. ( i st S. , I. , 2 1 ;
2nd S., III., 55 ; VI., 75). I have at last examined,
through the good offices of Mr. P. J. Anderson,
King's College, No. XI., June, 1831. It bears the
imprint: ** Edwards & Co., Printers, 21 Back Wynd,
Aberdeen" — no publisher's name attached.
The above issue contains a special review of The
Aberdeen Magazine , which the reviewer main-
tains as the most respectable publication of its kind
that ever appeared in Aberdeen — *^ saving and ex-
cepting the one with which we have the honour to
be connected." As to this last, he says its existence
is altogether a miracle, considering that it traversed
for several months the hazardous ocean of author-
ship without a helmsman to direct its course, or,
to drop the figure, became a receptacle for all the
maukish trash which the brainless scribbler chose to
pour into its pages. . . Continuing, he says: —
** The present Aberdeen Magazine displays a degree
of scholarship, an acquaintance with ancient and
modern literature, an extent of information, and a
talent for composition highly creditable to its con-
ductors."
An article, bearing the title ** Reminiscences of an
Unfortunate Literary Character," on p. 341 of the
Independent^ proclaims **To be continued," and
from this we infer that the publisher had sufficient
material ready for insertion in future issues. In
addition to this, the issue contained long-winded
epistles on Reform Bills,Toryism, and kindred topics,
as also on ** Temperance Societies," whose motto,
culled from Shakespeare,
0, reuon not the need, our Ijarest beggars
Are in the poorest things superfluous ;
Allow not nature more than nature needs ;
Man's life is cheap as beasts'—
was used as a headpiece.
Under the heading addressed to correspondents,
the following advice appeared : —
** We beg our correspondents to study condensa-
tion as much as possible, and not to tire our patience,
or that of our readers, with such long epistles as we
not infrequently receive. It were well, too, if they
would leave space between the lines for such inter-
lineations as may be necessary."
The publishers also gave forth the notice that, the
causes which prevented the Independent from appear-
ing at its appointed time for some months past being
entirely removed, "our readers may rest assured
that it will in future be regularly published on the
first day of every month, provided always that the
first day of that month do not happen to be Sun-
day." They also announced that, as No. 12, for
July, which completes the first volume, ** is still due,
it will be immediately put to press, and published
with all possible expedition."
Furthermore, the publishers intended to commence
a new series of the Independent with No. 13, the
first of Vol. II., and that a variety of improvements
suggested by experience were to be admitted, which
they (the publishers) confidently hoped would extend
its claims to public patronage. Also, the services
of the original editor were to be engaged for the
new series, and no exertion on their part would be
wanting to render the Independent worthy of the
cause it designed to support.
It is rather unique that the first issue, August,
1830, pp. 31-32, contains an extract from the Spec-
tator on the case Lord Forbes, etc., v. Leys, Masson
and Co. , tried in the Court of Session at Edinburgh
that year, and that on 22nd May, 1906, a similar
case was cited in the Evening Express.
The resurrectionist times of 1830 are also treated
in an article on "A New Plan to Protect the Grave
from Violation."
183 1. The Aberdeen New Independent, or. Liter-
ary Mtd Political Repository. No. i,Vol. I., Octo-
ber, 183 1. Size, demy 8vo, 30 pp., double-columned.
No price indicated, but probably 6d. The last page
has : ** Published on the first day of every month by
Edwards & Co., 21 Back Wynd; Edwards & Co.,
Printers."
The writer is of the opinion that the aim of the
above periodical, which is unquestionably the suc-
cessor of the Independent already noted, was to help
the cause of political and municipal progress in
Aberdeen in many ways. The contents of the first
part embrace: "Reviews of Current Literature";
** Acrimonious Discussions on Local Events" (these
find a prominent place in the issue which lies before
me); the concluding part of an article which ap-
peared serially in the former Independent, entitled :
*' Reminiscences of an Unfortunate Literary Charac-
ter"; ** Noctes MoUisionianie," an imaginary con-
versation by James and John, who air their opinions
bearing on the affairs connected with the Town
Council, Commissioners of Police, Guildry, Trades,
etc.; letters by discontented writers on " Excessiw
Labour," also *' Scottish Poor Law."
There were evidently further issues than the one
shown me by Mr. P. J. Anderson, for, at the end of
a review of Professor Pillan's work on the ** Intellec-
tual System of Education," the announcement,
<* To be concluded in our next," will be seen.
The following pithy retorts addressed "To Corres-
pondents " are reproduced herewith, as showing that
the editor was an individual possessed of humour.
He remarks: —
" * The Groans from the Tomb,' from the new
erection in the Town's Church Yard, commonly
called * Peter Carr's Bone Mill Chimney,* came too
late for insertion." Also, " * Simon Pones' Method of
Remedying the Bad Effects of the Impure Matter,'
will be inscribed in our next." And that " * Timothy
Turst's Remarks' are very correct, but a press of
matter prevents us from inserting them."
I should much like to handle the later issues if
at all possible.
'■i^'^B^F^^
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
99
1901. The Sangley Monthly. No. i, June, 1901.
8 pp., small 4to, 5 x 3^. Annual subscription, 4s.
Imprint, on p. 2: '* [James] Blair, Printer, 11 St.
Nicholas Street, Aberdeen."
The career of this monthly was one of short
duration. It succumbed at issue No. 15, August,
1902. The youthful editor of this unique juvenile pro-
duction, who read articles in different magazines and
then told them in his own words in his production,
was a lad, Henry James Watt, no George Street,
Aberdeen, and was produced by him whilst a scholar
attending the Aberdeen Grammar School. The
same gentleman, writing me from '*Alford,*' 4
Bromley Road, Catford, London, S.E., on the nth
April, 1906, states that he can hardly explain why he
commenced the above monthly except it were for a
pastime; but when he told me the name of his
former home at Catford was Sangley Lodge, readers
will readily understand how the name was acquired.
It circulated amongst the editor's friends, and as
there were only from fifty to a hundred printed of
each issue, the printing charge was accordingly high.
No complete file copy exists.
1902. The Rose attd Heart. (2nd S., VI., 42.)
The following is an extract from The Fraserburgh
Herald and Northern Counties Advertiser ^ 28th
November, 1905: — **Mr. A. G. Stuart died on Sun-
day morning, 25th inst., aged 65. In early life he
regularly went to the Greenland whale fishing, and
he has been in turn a baker, barber, printer, pub-
lisher, librarian, and travelling showman." The
above magazine was the product of his fertile brain.
1905. La Norda Stelo, Organo de la Aberdina
Esperantism Klubo. Size, small 4to. Price 3d.
Published irregularly. Its illustrated cover, which
depicts the Aberdeen Townhouse tower on its face,
and a globe of the world on the back, was the work
of Thomson & Duncan, lithographers, 26 Union
Row, Aberdeen. Numero i, Marto, 1905, 13 pages ;
Numero 2, Majo, 1905, 15 pages, was produced by
the typewriter, and done on one side of the paper
only.
The central idea for publishing the above periodical
was to further and spread the universal language
known as Esperanto throughout the world; to ex-
tend its use by study and practice ; also to encourage
the young to attend classes inaugurated for its study.
The secretary of the Esperanto Club, whose name
appears on each issue, was D[onaldson] S[imp8on]
Rose, M.A., advocate, 259 Union Street, Aberdeen.
Its foremost exponent was Mr. A. Christen, late of
134 King's Gate, Aberdeen. He greatly interested
himself on its behalf, and besides giving public
lectures in its favour, conducted classes for its
teaching.
Robert Murdoch.
Aberdeen.
Forfarshire as a Factor in Scottish
Life and Thouoht.— Is "W. B. R. W." not in
error in including among Forfarshire distin-
guished naval men the name of Sir George
Carnegie, sixth Earl of Southesk? 1 rather
think that he must refer to George Carnegie,
sixth Earl of Northesk, who was born on 2nd
August, 17 16. Joining the Navy, he obtained
his commission in his twenty-third year, and
was appointed to the command of the " Preston"
on 8th September, 1742. He saw much active
service, but, in consequence of his health being
seriously affected, he obtained permission to
resign his command and return to Britain.
Although retired from active service, he was
gradually promoted, until he reached the rank
of Admiral of the White on 29th January, 1778.
He died on 27th January, 1792, and was suc-
ceeded by his third son, George, seventh Earl,
who was born on loth April, 1758. He also
joined the Navy, and obtained his commission,
and when only nineteen years of age was ap-
pointed to the command of the ** Apollo.'' He
was one of the officers of the " Royal George **
when she took part in the relief of Gibraltar ;
and, after service in the West Indies, he was
raised to the rank of Post Captain on 7th April,
1782. He commanded the " Monmouth " in the
North Sea Fleet in 1796, and was promoted to
the rank of Rear Admiral of the White in 1804.
He was third in command at Trafalgar — in the
** Britannia''; and, passing through the ranks
of Vice-Admiral and Admiral, he attained that
of Rear Admiral of Great Britain. He was
also appointed Commander-in-Chief of the
British Navy at Plymouth, which he held until
1830. He died on 28th May, 1831, and was
buried in St. Paul's Cathedral, where a tablet
was erected to his memory, adjacent to Lord
Nelson's monument.
Goodlybum, Perth.
J. E. Leighton.
Forfarshire as a Factor in Scottish
Life and Thought.— Alas ! that I should
again have to cry ''^Peccavi^ and for a precisely
similar reason, to wit, sheer carelessness, and
trusting to a memory which, though fairly good,
is sometimes treacherous. I thank Mr. Leigh-
ton for putting me right as to the birthplace of
the artist George Paul Chalmers. My own
notebooks are, of course, quite correct, and con-
demn me for neglecting to examine them before
making the statement, which Mr. Leighton so
justly describes as '^ a mistake." I meekly and
even gratefully accept his gentle correction,
while I murmur humbly and penitently, " Mea
culpa! Mea culpa!'' W. B, R W,
lOO
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[January, 1907
"A HAPPY ENGLISH CHILD."
Dr. Douglas Hyde, a well-known Irish
author, complained recently that the school
lessons prepared by Archbishop Whately for
Irish seminaries were saturated with Anglican-
isms, ironically observing that the prelate saw
no incongruity in hearing young Irelanders
singing this ditty : —
I thank the goodness and the grace
Which on my birth have smiled.
And made me in these Christian da3r8
A happy English child I
Of course not : Englishmen are proverbially
blind in matters of that sort, and rouse antagon-
ism by their stupidity and want of tact. What
was good enough for English bairns ought,
inferentially, to be good enough also for Zulu,
Hindu, Maori, or other heathen urchins, because
it keeps the superiority of the dominant race
well in front, but otherwise it is simply folly to
foist this bit of Anglican brag upon an alien race.
An easy solution of Dr. Hyde's difficulty would
have been to substitute " Irish " for English, but
whether they adopted it I cannot say. I suppose
"a happy Irish child" under English misrule
would be a rarity. Well, reading Dr. Hyde's
complaint forcibly reminded me of my boyish
days at Dr. A. BelPs school in Frederick Street,
Aberdeen. I can remember the incident as if
it had only occurred yesterday. A new dominie
had come to govern and instruct us — a vain,
foppish, Anglified young fellow, who afterwards
blossomed into a parson, and on the very first
day of his duty as schoolmaster he gave out the
self-same lines which Dr. Hyde stigmatises as
absurd for Irish youth. Instantly there was
a commotion among the older boys, and an
order was rapidly given to us juveniles to
exchange " Scottish " for English. Accordingly
the quatrain, led by Willie Towns (our master
of song), was sung with great birr, ending
triumphantly —"A happy Scottish child." The
dominie was somewhat disconcerted, and queru-
lously remarked, " You have not sung the exact
words of the last line. What's the meaning of
that?" After a little pause, Peter Hutcheon (I
think), a clever, sturdy loon, replied : " We're
nae gaun to sing a lee 1" "Cingalee?" echoed the
schoolmaster, thinking probably of Ceylon,
"What do you mean?" "Ay, a big lee !" respon-
ded Peter, emboldened by our approval ; "We're
a' Scotch here. There's nae an English child i'
the schule — is there, lads?" (appealing to us). An
emphatic " No ! " swept round the pupils, so the
schoolmaster subsided, and did not attempt to
force an absurd fallacy upon us ; but he had
a "down" upon Peter, and sharply censured
him on various occasions. He ought not to
have tried to mislead us with such a glaring
deception ; but the strong Scotch common sense
of the boys nominally under his control was an
effectual "eye-opener" to him, as he never re-
peated the experiment. Gallant lads ! Your
staunch, albeit grotesque, adherence to the
literal truth in an age of shams and meek
subserviency to English arrogance yet thrills
my spirit in my exile, and throws a tender halo
over memories of long- vanished scenes.
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
The Birthplace of George Ridpath
(2nd S., III., 23, 38, 52, 70). — It is probably rash
to renew a conflict when the tumult and the
shouting has long since died down. It is per-
haps doubly rash to intervene when the com-
batants are such redoubtable champions as Mr.
Walter Scott of Stiriing, and Mr. W. B. R.
Wilson, of Dollar. But one may hazard a blow
if the cause of battle may be helped. Mr.
Wilson let his adversary have the last word,
and seemed to have no authority for his state-
ment that Ridpath was probably a native of
Berwickshire except the " Diet Nat Biog." He
should have gone further, and examined the
authority on which the " Dictionary " itself
based its statement That was the introductory
article to a correspondence between Ridpath
and Wodrow, the Church historian, printed in
the Abbotsford Club "Miscellany," Vol. 1.(1838).
The book was prepared by the secretary of the
club, Mr. W. B. D. D. Tumbull, who, in the
preface, acknowledges his "entire" indebtedness
"for the selection of its contents, illustrative
remarks, and general superintendence," to no
less a person than James Maidment. What the
" Miscellany" says has accordingly some weight.
It says : "A passage in the pamphlet, of which
the full title has been given in the note, leads
to the inference that Ridpath was a native of
Berwickshire.^' Unfortunately the words used
in the pamphlet are not quoted, and no inde-
pendent judgment can therefore be formed on
their validity. The pamphlet was directed
against Ridpath, was named "The Spirit of
Calumny and Slander, etc.," and is dated 1693.
The Abbotsford writer adds that Ridpath's
"connection with the Merse is confirmed" by a
paragraph in his own tract, "The Scots Epis-
copal Innocence," in which he boasts of his
family relationships with the county. Some-
thing more definite might be obtained if the
above pamphlet was examined.
EVAN Odd.
Vol. VIII. 2nci Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
lOl
"SAWNEY BEANE.''
Mr. S. R. Crockett, in his novel, "The Grey
Man/' giving the adventures of Lancelot Ken-
nedy, has revived an old lie again in the history
of Sawney Beane. I presume that the novelist
considers himself justified in adopting any
legend, and fashioning his story along with it ;
bat there ought to be a stratum of truth at the
bottom. The story of Sawney Beane is a clumsy
Cockney invention, without any foundation what-
ever in fact, and Crockett, in utilising it, has
simply pandered to English prejudice, like
Andrew Lang and other Anglified Scots. For-
merly we had Sir Anthony Weldon and other
English blackguards vilifying our nation, which
usually failed, despite the grossness of the
attacks, on account of their brutish ig^norance and
ridiculous falsity. Now the crafty Englishman
either employs a hard-up literary Scot to defend
his own country or recommends the job to him,
and they have been very successful. Coofs of the
Henley and Crosland type ^o on an independent
course — "there is money m it" — but all write
with a desire to pull us down below the English
level — and that is low enough. "Sawney Beane"
is immediately raised to the dignity of a classic,
and our nation execrated without rhyme or reason.
A friend showed me some time ago a copy of
the Newcastle Weekly Chronicle^ dated ist
August, 1896, and in it there is a circumstantial
history of Sawney Beane given, extending to
two columns. The Novocastrian scribe coolly
premises that the monster cannibal's real name
was Alexander Bain. How did he know that ?
By the way, what a delicate and peculiarly
English compliment that was to Professor Bain
of Aberdeen, who was then alive. We are then
informed that Sawney flourished for twenty-five
years, up to 1603, and over one thousand
murders are placed to his credit. " How's that
for high ? " as they say in California. Any
credulous fool who will believe that egregious
falsehood is fit for an asylum.
Strange to say, we cannot get corroborative
testimony as to the career of this notorious
villain. None of the histories of Scotland that
I have read mentions him ; even Andrew Lang
might have dragged Sawney into his net, but he
didn't, in those needless volumes of his anent
Scottish history. Sawney does not appear in
Pitcairn's "Ancient Criminal Trials in Scotland,"
which includes the period of Sawney's ongauns ;
nor does he appear in the two sets of "Statistical
Accounts of Scotland." Sinclair's and Black-
wood's, although smaller affairs, are recorded ;
nor is Mr. Beane to be found in the various
Gazetteers and Guide Books of Galloway and
elsewhere. Very strange, isn't it ? Well, where
is the chronicle of this infamous wretch to be
seen ? Alas ! and must the truth be told ? It
shows up in a cheap paltry Yorkshire miscellany,
"Lives of Celebrated Highwaymen and Robbers,
Pirates, etc.," printed by Milner & Sowerby,
of Halifax.
This vile book, to a great extent, is the
English lad's vade mecum or indispensable
companion, although it has latterly been super-
seded by Yankee yarns concerning the doings of
"Deadwood Dick." To the ordinary English
mind their real heroes are Jack Sheppard, Dick
Turpin, Jerry Abershaw, and others of that ilk.
Gloating over the deeds of such ruffians, the
hope is engendered that they may one day
achieve similar renown. Having so many
English scoundrels to record, the compiler of
the Halifax volume patriotically wrote or got
written for his collection the veracious story of
Sawney Beane. There is a Grub Street flavour
about the narrative, which plainly indicates its
Cockney origin, something akin to "Sweeny
Todd," the demon barber of Gray's Inn Lane,
who entrapped his customers, and supplied their
bodies to a noted pork-pie shop on the opposite
side, through a subway or tunnel under the street.
Of course, when a young fellow in England
I was confronted and affronted with this stupid
lie about Sawney Beane I denounced it as a
fabrication ; then the cheap catchpenny public-
ation was shown to me. Would I dare to
dispute that ? But I did, and denounced it like-
wise. My denials went for nothing. They said
so sympathetically that the whole of Scotland
was in league to " keep it dark," and so on, " we
love Scotland more than the truth," and other
Johnsonian diatribes. There, you see, let any
English wastrel circulate a trashy falsehood to
the detriment of an entire nation the vagabond
will receive credence, and the lie will flourish,
simply because they want it so. It never dawns
upon their besotted brains that they have been
duped and deceived— oh, dear, no !
When I reflect upon this atrocious calumny, I
often think of those passages of Scripture that a
dear deceased relative of mine used to repeat,
in 2 Thess., ii., 11, and Jude 10.
If any correspondent has trustworthy infor-
mation to communicate concerning the writer of
the Sawney Beane romance, will he be pleased
to disseminate it ?
Melbourne, Australia.
Alba.
I02
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[January, 1907
ALEXANDER GORDON, EXECUTED
AT BREST.
Alexander Gordon of Wardhouse, who was
executed at Brest, November 29, 1769, on the
charge of espionage, has already been dealt
with by me in the Aberdeen Free Press of
August 26, 1898, under the title "An Aberdeen-
shire Dreyfus." That article was largely
based on two articles in BentUys Magciziney
November and December, 1868. I have recently
discovered what seems to be the source of the
latter articles, namely, a long account of the
trial (" Proces d' Alexandre Gordon, Espion
Anglais, d^capit^ k Brest en 1769") in the
" Bulletin de la Soci^td Academique de Brest,"
tom. I., pp. 295-360, published in 1861. The
contribution was communicated to the Academy
on November 28, 1869, by P. Levot, who was
" Conservateur de la Bibliothdque du Port,
Correspondant du Ministere de ^Instruction
Publique pour les Travaux Historiques." He
treats the matter from a totally French point of
view.
The peace of 1763 was not at all satisfactory
to England, and it became the constant business
of officers of that country to check any attempt
France made to rise from its sunken position.
The French forts, and, above all, that of Brest,
were the object of incessant espionage. Thus an
example had to be made of some culprit. It
came about in the person of young Gordon (his
age is given by Levot as 21}, whose youth and
personal qualities roused general sympathy.
His culpability has often been questioned. It
has been said that he died on account of the
resentment of M. de Clugny, whose mistress he
charmed and got on mtimate terms with.
Another version is that of M. G. Villeneuve,
who represents Gordon as sacrificed to an
intrigue conducted by the royal concubine of
the day, under pretext of a ridiculous and use-
less espionage. Yet another explanation is that
the judges, bought over by money or promise of
extra dignities, became the odious instruments
of private ill-will. M. Levot declares that all
these propositions fall to the ground before the
line of indisputable facts confirmed in due
course by the evidence of Gordon himself.
It was common at this time that prosecutor
and judge should be one person. Hence M. de
Clugny, because he found it right to have
Gordon put under arrest, was not without his
rights in also trying him. Gordon had got in
tow with a young French surgeon, Jean Antoine
Durand, who went to Brest and put up at the
Hotel du Grand Turc, occupied by a woman
Carion. His protest was that he wanted to see
the Hospital of Marines, and that he had come
to replace one M. Savary. He disappeared for
a brief space, returning to the town at a
different point, and put up at the Hotel Grand
Monarque, kept by a woman Herber. In six days'
time he left for St. Malo, where he was rejoined
by Gordon. Armed with a passport from M.
Scott, they went about sight-seeing for about
fifteen days, not to St. Malo only, but also to the
forts of La Conch^e, Saint-Servan, Cancale,
Saint-Cast, etc., and everywhere took notes,
which they put in order on their return to the inn.
Then Durand left for Nantes, where they
were to meet again about the end of May or the
beginning of June, and Gordon went on to Brest
Gordon stayed in the Place Medisance with
M. Francois- Benjamin Bordier, clockmaker,
in whose house Durand had taken two rooms
for him at ;£3o per month. M. Levot gives a
mass of other minute particulars.
May I suggest that some of our pro- French
young enthusiasts who have more time at their
disposal than myself should translate Levot's
sixty-five page article for publication locally?
The entente corduile would make it piquant
reading to-day.
I may note as a typical instance of the ex-
traordinary dearth of local news— or was it an
equally extraordinary sense of good taste? — that,
though the Aberdeen Journal of December 25,
1769, contains a reference (among the foreign
intelligence) to the execution of young Gordon,
no reference is made to his connection with
Aberdeenshire ! J. M. B.
*
Irishmen with Norman Names.— It is
stated in Irish history that when the Norman
invaders intermarried with the daughters of Erin
the children of such unions became more Irish
than the Irish themselves. I am forcibly re-
minded of this fact in Australia, for I have
known, and some of them intimately, the follow-
ing persons, all Irish or of Irish descent, and
mainly Catholics, bearing unmistakable Norman
or old English names : — Peter Marmion, Lancelot
Cheney, Digby Lacey, Marcus Pym, James
Conway, Michael Prendergast, Aloysius Ber-
mingham, Robert Devereux, Owen Talbot,
Lewis Bolingbroke, Felix Lavalle, Gerald Filz-
gibbon, Denis Desmond, Timothy Davern
(d*Auvergne ?), Francis Stafford, Luke Prender,
Bernard Carew, John Molyneux, Hubert Stanley,
Redmond Prenderville, and others. Having
to read the electoral rolls of the colony, I
made notes of very strange names, which I may
tiansmit by-and-by.
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
103
BRODIES, LAWRANCES, AND MUR-
DOCHS IN 1745.
The undernoted is a list of the above sur-
names of those who appear to have been con-
cerned in the Jacobite Rebellion in 1745, and to
have given evidence in some cases. All are
interesting to me, and I shall feel obliged if any
reader lets me know of any descendants of those
mentioned in the list, which was printed for the
Scottish History Society, Edinburgh, in 1890 : —
David Brodie, chaplain to Lady Blantyre, Leading-
ton ; said to have carried arms in the rebel service
at the battle of Preston ; supposed at hand. (Had-
dington district, p. 134. )
Fra. Brodie, clerk in Alloa Custom House; along
with James Hatg, inkeeper in Alloa ; Tho. Pater-
son. Excise officer in Clackmanan, gave evidence
against John Murray, clerk to collector of Customs,
Alloa. (Dunfermline district, p. 349. )
James Brodie, Esq., Muresk, and Mr. Fiddes, his
chaplain, both in Turriff parish, gave evidence
against John Gillispie, Jr., Turriff. (Banff district,
P- 309-)
John Bredy, labourer. Bridge of Don, Oldmachar,
Co. Aberdeen, carried arms at the battle of Cul-
loden; lurking. (Aberdeen district, p. 4.)
Robert Bresdie (Bredie in index), indweller, Muthil,
Co. Perth, pressed out by Lord Drummond, but
returned and at a hand. (Perth district, p. 42. )
Robert Bresdie (or Brydie). This may be the person
whose birth is recorded in the Episcopal register of
baptisms for Muthil on 15th January, 1724, as son
of John Brady and Jean Ure. (Perth district. Ap-
pendix II., p. 370.)
Simon Brodie, lived in Templand, carried arms in the
rebel service. (Ross district, p. 72.)
Walter Brodie, shoemaker, Blance, joined the rebel
army and gave information upon the neighbour-
hood of concealed arms; not known. (Hadding-
ton district, p. 134.)
Willm. Brodie, gunsmith, Canongate, beat up and
recruited men and levied money in the county for
the rebel service; lurking in town. (Edinburgh
district, p. 244.)
Same as above. Evidence given by Nin. Trot-
ter, Geo. Robertson, and Fra. Pringle, Excise
officers. (P. 388.)
James Laurance, piper, Clochnahill, Dunottre, Kin-
cardin, voluntary served with the rebells with his
musick and went with them ; lurking. (Montrose
district, p. 176.)
John Lawrance, mason, Keith, County Banff, private
man hald out ; lurking. (Banff district, p. 32.)
John Laurence, merchant. Old Deer, County Aber-
deen, proclaimed the Pretender at the Market Cross
of Old Deer, enlisted some men for his service and
joined them himself in their retreat to the High-
lands. (Oldmeldrum district, pp. 92, 93. )
John Lawrence at Old Deer, John Webster in
Clockean, John Dalgarno in New Deer, and James
Arthur in Kinninmont gave evidence against Alex.
Cumming, farmer, Meikle Crichie, Old Deer,
County Aberdeen ; 600 stock. (Oldmeldrum dis-
trict, p. 303.)
John Lawrence in Old Deer, John Dalgarno in New
Deer, and James Forbes in Turnerhall House in
Ellon parish gave evidence against Adam Hay oi
Cairnbanno, New Deer, Co. Aberdeen ; £50 yearly
rent ; bad mansion-house. (Oldmeldrum district,
p. 305)-
Willm. Murdoch, wool merchant, Callendar, Co.
Perth, acted as ensign in the rebel army; was
thrice forced out, and as often deserted : now at
hand. (Stirling district, p. 58.)
At page 369 of the work whence the above
extracts are taken it appears that John Gordon
of Glenbuchat joined the Pretender's army soon
after the battle of Prestonpans. He had under
command a numerous body of select gentlemen
and private people {Caledonian Mercury^ Wed-
nesday, September 25, 1745}. Another refer-
ence to the old Tower family is reported at page
305, where Alexander Tower, John Sey, and
Alex. Mathison, all in Old Rain, gave evidence
against Laurence Leith, farmer, Leith-hall, Kin-
ethmond, Co. Aberdeen.
Robert Murdoch.
ABERDONIANS ABROAD:
HENRY FARQUHARSON.
The very interesting account, in the Decem-
ber number of Scottisli Notes and Queries^ of
Hary or Henry Farquharson, distinguished and
almost illustrious as *'the first professor of
mathematics and navigation in Russia, and
during forty years (down to his death in 1739)
the chief instructor of the naval men of that
country,*' closes with the conjecture by Mr.
Kellas Johnstone that, "from the pre-name Hary
or Henry, Farquharscm was a cadet of the house
of Allargue." This surmise is a mistake. As it
happens, there is no difficulty in identifying the
individual in question, and tracing his descent
for four generations.
Let it be premised that the Farquharsons
were a comparatively modern clan. Practically,
the founder of it was Finlay Mor, a "kindly
tenant" or Crown rentaller in Braemar, who was
killed at the battle of Pinkie in 1 547, and after
whom it came to be named the Clan Fhionn-
laidh. The statements which figure in Douglas's
104
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
Qanuary, 1907
*' Baronage,'' and are adopted in Burke's books,
concerning the generations anterior to Finlay
Mor, are a medley of vainglorious nonsense for
which there is not a scrap of proo^ while those
concerning the generations which came after
him are chock-full of inaccuracies. The account
of the latter generations, according to the most
authentic and trustworthy genealogies of the
clan, is briefly as follows : — Finlay Mor was
twice married, having four sons by die first wife
and five by the second. The three eldest sons
died without male issue, and the fourth, leaving
Braemar, settled at Craigniety in Glenisla. Of
the second marriage the eldest son, undoubtedly,
was Donald in Castleton of Braemar and of
TuUigarmouth ; the second, Robert in Inver-
cauld ; the third, Lachlan of Broughdearg ; the
fourth, George of Deskrie and Glenconry ; and
the fifth, Finlay of Achriachan.
Donald of Castleton and TuUigarmouth mar-
ried, for his first wife, Jean Ogilvie, daughter to
Newton, by whom he had seven sons — Donald,
his successor, afterwards of Monaltrie ; Robert
of Finzean, Alexander of Allanaquoich, James of
Invercy, John of Tillicairn, George in Miltown
of Whitehouse in Cromar, and Thomas, who
" went abroad to the wars."
The sixth son, George in Milltown of White-
house, had three sons — George, Donald, and
David. George had two sons, of whom the
elder, Thomas, was " a merchant in Aberdeen "
(perhaps the founder of the firm of Farquharson
and Co.)
The second son of the three above named-
Donald — had three sons — Robert, John, and
Hary. Robert was a seaman ; John a soldier in
Ireland ; ** Hary was one of those the late Czar
of Muscovy, Peter Alexowitz, sent over from
London to teach mathematics in his country,
and now" (/>., A.D., 1733) "teaches navigation
in the Imperial College of Petersburg."
It may be added that, so far as observed, " the
pre-name Hary or Henry" does not appear at
all in the Allargue branch of the clan.
J. F.
*
The Heir Male of the Lords Forbes
OF PiTSLiGO (2nd S., VI., 135 ; VII., 29).—
There appears to be some discrepancy in dates
in the late Mr. William Troup's account of the
descendants of Mr. Arthur Forbes of Meikle
Wardes. Thus, Arthur is stated to have died
before 9th April, 1606, whilst John, in Keithack,
his seventh (?) and youngest son, is stated to
have been born in 161 3 1 It is to be observed
also that both Mathew Lumsden and Macfar-
lane are in accord that Arthur's son, John, died
without issue, " W. L. F.," in the August, 1905,
number, gave an extract from a letter, from
which it appears that an Arthur Forbes settled
at Keithack, in the parish of Mortlach, and that
he had an only son, John, who married a daugh-
ter of David Stuart, of Achmore. In view of
this information (which helps to dispose of the
discrepancy above mentioned), John must have
been a grandson of "Mr. Arthur," of Meikle
Wardes, and the son of either (i) James, of
Bankheadj or (2) Patrick, of Blackball, each of
them havmg had a son named Arthur, and
respecting neither of these are any particulars
given in Mr. W. Troup's account. In the
Charlton MS. it is stated that David's daughter
"married John Forbes, of Keithack, son to
Gordon Arthur Forbes, and left several children,"
which seems to raise a further question as to
the identity of John's father. H. D. McW.
Eliza Inverarity.— I owe Mr. David
Baptie an apology for stating that I could not
find a memoir of this songstress in his " Musical
Scotland," and I freely tender it There is a
slight notice of her under the name " Martyn,"
at the bottom of page 117, which I must have
overlooked. I did not remember that Miss
Inverarit/s husband's name was Martyn ; but
as I was groping for something else amongst my
notebooks, I was surprised to find an entry which
I had taken from the Gentlemof^s Magazine
fully twenty years back, an exemplification of
the old Scottish adage, "As ae door steeks anither
opens," for I did not find what I looked for.
It was to the effect that Mrs. Charles Martyn,
better known as Miss Inverarity, died at
Ne wcas tie-on -Tyne in 1844, aged 33 : her bus-
band was a basso vocalist. My informant, the
late James March, was mistaken as to her age
and year of death, but he was scrupulously
correct as to her wondrous powers of song and
the effect it had upon Scottish audiences. Poor
lady!
ImprisonM in a sooty cage,
Alang the coaly Tyne,
Our mavis tyn'd its cheery strain,
An' soon begoud to dwyne.
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
Rhyme on Gold. — Some years ago I used
to hear the undernoted rhyme on gold. The
gentleman who repeated it always paid his
accounts in gold (notes he could not tolerate),
and as the writer held out his hand for payment
this rhyme was repeated : —
I love to hear the jingle,
And I love to see the roll,
But there's nothing half so pleasant
As the precious metal gold.
RoBBRT Murdoch.
■^^
Vol VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
105
FORFARSHIRE AS A FACTOR IN
SCOTTISH LIFE AND THOUGHT.
(Continued from 2nd S., VIII., p. 84, J
I have referred to the fact that Forfarshire,
and, indeed, the whole East of Scotland, supplied
both the Low Countries and Germany with many
of the bravest soldiers and the most skilful
leaders in the great Frotestant struggles against
the Spaniards and latterly against the Austrians
and the French. It is recorded, as an evidence
of the gallantry of the Scottish Brigade in these
wars, that during the Thirty Years' War the
Dutch (i,e.y the Germans) in the service of
Gustavus were many times glad to beat the old
Scots march when they designed to frighten
the enemy. On many a distant Continental
battlefield that air had announced the unfaltering
advance of the Scottish Foot and the red
uniforms of the British. Brigade to face
unflinchingly the fiery charge of the chivalry
of France. So highly, indeed, were the Scots
regiments valued in Holland that, from the time
of Elizabeth down to the middle of the 18th
century, the Government of that country never
ceased to maintain a Scottish Brigade as the
backbone of their army, while the Prince of
Orange had such a respect for their military
qualities that he called them *Hhe bulwark of
Holland." Now, to that Scots Brigade the
county of Forfar all along contributed its full
tale both of ofHcers and private soldiers. No
one can deny, therefore, that the people of Angus
have been a brave, generous, and hardy people.
The truth is, that there is no nation in Europe
and scarcely a country in the world which
cannot furnish instances of worthy deeds and
heroic actions performed by natives of this shire,
who have been honoured or employed in the
greatest trusts in later or former ages. And they
have not been confined to single persons, starting
up now and then (which may and does happen
even in the most backward countries and among
otherwise dastardly men), but they have con-
stantly behaved themselves well. We conclude,
therefore, that the men of Angus have no cause
to shrink from comparing themselves with the
men of any other part of Scotland. The Borders
and the South-west country may have greater
poets and more powerful leaders to boast of,
the Lothians and Fifeshire may eclipse all the
rest of the country in the number of their
statesmen and thinkers, but Forfarshire, if she
must take a second place as compared with
these nurseries of genius, at least can hold her
own with any other district of Scotland, even
with Aberdeen and Perth. For, in the homely
lines in which James Beattie, one of the best
representatives of the talent of this region, has
nobly asserted the genius of his countrymen, we
may still say with all confidence that though
The Southland chields indeed hae mettle,
And brawly at a sang can ettle,
Yet we right couthily might settle
O* this side Forth.
The devil pay them wi* a pettle
That slight the North.
Our countrie lied is far frae barren,
It*8 e'en richt pithy and auld farren.
Ourselves are neiperlike, I warran\
For sense and smergh.
In kittle times when faes are yarring
We're no thocht ergh.
Oh ! bonny are our greensward hows,
Where through the glen the burnie rows,
Where the bee bums and the ox lows
And soft winds rustle,
And shepherd lads on sunny knowes
Blaw the blythe fustle.
Happy country where scenes like these are
universal, and m which there is not a province
and scarcely a parish which cannot recall with
gratitude and pride the contributions it has
individually made to the honourable achieve-
ments of a great and splendid history. What
worthy son of such a glorious land but must
fervently re-echo as his own the noble prayer
with which our great national bard closes his
beautiful poem of " The Cotter's Saturday
Night." The prayer, I mean, that asks that —
He who poured the patriotic tide
That streamed through Wallace's undaunted
Who dared to nobly stem tyrannic pride, [heart ;
Or nobly die, the second glorious part.
May never, never Scotia's realm desert,
But still the patriot, and the patriot bard
In bright succession raise, her ornament and guard !
W. B. R. W.
MACPHERSON LETTERS.— IV.
(2nd S., VII., p, 167; VIII., pp. 2, 15.)
It may have been noticed that the letters
written by Macphersons which have recently
appeared m these columns indicate that each of
the writers was concerned in procuring supplies
of meal from a district somewhat remote from
Badenoch. The explanation of this is doubtless
to be found in the "New Statistical Account,
io6
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[January, 1907
Inverness-shire " (p. 79), where, respecting the
parish of Kingussie, it is remarked : "Although
the parish, as before noticed, must always be
more a pastoral than an agricultural one, and
though the utmost extent of improvable soil
is, and must always be, far exceeded by the
extent of mountain and other land incapable of
cultivation, still, were the part of the parish
which can be cultivated to be brought under a
system of regular rotation, it might be nearly, if
not entirely, adequate to the supply of the wants
of the population, a good which has never yet
been accomplished. Nothing has proved more
ruinous to this parish than the necessity of
bringing meal from other districts, with the
additional expense of a long land carriage."
In the Survey of the province of Moray (p. 257),
it is said of the same parish : " Barley, oats, rye,
and potatoe are the produce of the cultivated
ground ; but the quantity obtained is not suffi-
cient for the support of the inhabitants." To
some extent, no doubt, the supplies referred to
in the letters were required for the barracks at
Ruthven, and, as appears from the following
letter (being the one alluded to in Tammore's
letter to Cluny, printed in the July number as
an "unsubscrived" letter of Malcolm McPherson
in Crubinmore), also for the use of the" Watch": —
Sir
Please Deliver to the bearer fourteen bolls
of the Twnty Contained in Clunnies Draught
upon you Deliverable to me, The meall being for
the use of the watch, and Some of the men
happenM Upon ane oyr turn Coud Not Send for
the Ballance Yrfor yowll Send Your Line to me
for the oyr Six Deliverable as formerly, The
Draught for the whole being sent you is all from
Sir
Your most humble Sert
[No signature.]
Crubin the 29 July
1745
Excuse beast
Endorsed : —
To
Robert Grant off
Tammore Esqr :
Also : I
Send one boll more than fourteen . . .
It should have been stated that John Duff's ,
letter, which appeared in the November number,
was addressed to Tammore, and the following
letter affords further light on the affair of the
" Watch " :—
D' Sir
I saw Cluny Monday and payd him what
money I collected and took his Recept for the
Same. Tm much oblidged to you for being at the
trouble to talk to him in my Favours : I shall be
glad of an opportunity to Serve you. If he
returns here in his way from Banff where he
presently is, Shall pay him the first mytie due
out of Capt: Grant's Valued Rent and Others
mentioned m your Letter. Willie's Shoes will not
be ready untill Friday. Receive Baillie Grant's
Discharge for the lew payable furth of Easter
Elchies, and am with Offer of my Compliements
to M'» Grant and Willie
Sir
Your Most Oblidge'd Hum» Ser^
John Duff Jun^
Elgin June 19^
1745
Valued Bent whole Watch
muney
Freefield and Collie . . £103 13 2 ;f o 2 7^
Easter Elchies .... 314 i 6 07 lo^
Lordship of Rothes, Dun'
included ii376 42 i 14 4
Lord Elchies Valued Rent
in Banff ..... 350 00 o 8 g
Ballindallach .... 292 08 073^
Kirdles 426 10 o o 10 7J
Struthers 475 5 4 o ii loA
Ballidallach's Valued Rent
in Banff 1,383 6 8 i 14 6
Endorsed : —
To
Robert Grant
of Tamore Esqr
Also, in Tam morels writing : —
igth June 1745. Jo : Duff, Dept Collector of the
Cess annent the watch money.
Mr. Duff also wrote to Tammore on the
subject on 24th July, 1745, as follows :—
I got M' Mcpherson's Recept for the ;f 5 Sent
yesterday, and you have Inclos'd your letters
promising to procure me M' M^'pherson's Recepts
for the money Sent on Cluny's Acco* and have
cutt of a part of both which contained a line from
Mr Mcpherson calling for some things.
The Mr. McPherson here referred to, and also
in Mr. DufTs letter printed in the November
number, was probably John McPherson, barrack-
mjisler at Ruthven, who, on two tombstones in
Kingussie Churchyard to the memory of his
children, John and Jean, is styled "of Knappach."
John Duff, senior^ merchant, was provost of
Elgin from 1746 to 1749, and John Duff,
merchant, presumably son of the former and
the writer of the letters to Tammore, was
provost from 1771 to 1774, 1775 to 1778, 1779 to
1782, 1785 to 1788, and 1791 to 1792.
H. D. Mow.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
107
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EDINBURGH
PERIODICAL LITERATURE (V., 20, etc)
(Continued from 2nd S., Vol. VIII., p, 74.)
[Supplementary.]
1720. The Caledonian Mercury. (Continued). In
1786 the paper assumed the Flying Mercury as its
emblem, and it bore the device for some time. On
August I, 1789, the price was again raised by one
halfpenny because of an increase in the newspaper
tax. The Mercury congratulated itself on the
amount, for under the same circumstances the
London papers had advanced their price by one
penny. The Act did not "permit of allowance
on returned stamps of unsold papers," and ac-
cordingly the Mercury announced that only the
number ordered would be printed.
Robertson retired from the paper on July i, 1790,
disposing, as he said, of the right to publish to
"his friend, Mr. Robert Allan, whose abilities and
attention are well Icnown, and to whose extensiTe cor-
respondence he has often been indebted for many of
the earliest and most important articles of intelligence
communicated in this paper."
The imprint ran: ''Edinburgh: printed by Robert
Allan (successor to John Robertson), and sold at
his printing house, Old Fishmarket Close.''
At the opening of the nineteenth century, the
Caledonian Mercury partook of the general charac-
teristics of the journals of the time. It was a
commonplace production, though it did sometimes
speak in a bolder key than its contemporaries.
An Edinburgh journalist says : *
" Whsn I knew the Edinburgh press, editorial or lead-
ing articles were not regular in the Mercurif, but there
were summaries of news, with comments and oc-
casional articles on subjects interesting to Scotland
and the citizens of Edinburgh. About the year 1809
there were able articles on the removal of restrictions
from commerce with France. The principles of Adam
Smith, or of Free Trade as now popularly received,
have been always steadily and consistently advocated
by the Mercury."
The first leading article, in the modern sense, ap-
peared in 1839.
The first editor whose name I have obtained
was David Buchanan. He held office from 18 10
to 1827, when he left to take charge of the Courant.
He was succeeded by James Browne, LL. D. Dr.
Brown had had previous experience on the Scots
Magazine and the Correspondent. He was a
blustering man,t and soon brought his journal
into conflict with his contemporaries. During
1829 he made many attacks upon the Scotsman
and its proprietor in a tone which suggested per-
sonal animosity. The Scotsmcui tried repeatedly
to bring these recurring personalities to an end,
and in September actually succeeded in extracting
* "A Printer's Keniinisccnces," in Lei^nre Hour^ Feb., 1867.
t See Biaetwood'g sketch of him under the name of " Colonel '
Cloud," 1825.
permission to print in its own columns a promise
on the part ot the Mercury that they would cease.
But the truce lasted for a few days only. The
Scotsman held its hand as long as possible, and
then struck with all its might. It printed the
whole correspondence between the owners of the
two journals, and added a vitriolic article upon
Browne himself. It roundly accused him of politi-
cal dishonesty, declaring at the same time he was
deliberately untruthful and unscrupulous. Among
other things, it said Browne '* outraged private
feelings, sported with truth, and raised up ani-
mosities by reckless and unprovoked attacks on
his neighbours." To render mistake impossible,
Maclaren, the editor of the Scotsman, sent a com-
munication to Browne informing him that he was
the author of the attack. The inevitable result
followed, and a meeting was arranged for the
morning of November 12, 1829. Fire was ex-
changed without damage to the combatants, and
honour was declared satisfied, although apology
was refused. So far as Browne was concerned,
the matter does not seem to have ended with the
duel. He quarrelled with the proprietor of the
Mercury, and forsook the paper to set up the North
Briton. When that journal had run its brief
career, he returned to the Mercury. His second
term was short, for the proprietor took care to
exercise due supervision over the articles, and this
did not suit Browne. He was followed by a Mr.
Cochrane, who had done editorial work on the
Foreign Quarterly Reviciv, and who held office
for three years. When the article on the Edin-
burgh newspapers appeared in Fraser^s Magazine
in 1838, the editorship was in abeyance. It
*' happens at this present moment to be without an
editor, l)eiug conducted by a knot of young Whig
lawyers, suckling politicians, and expectant commis-
sioners, who, gratuitously it is said, furnish the
requisite leaders, etc. . . . Owing to its slavish
adherence to the pseudo-Liberalism of the day, it has
lost a good deal of its standing and influence in Edin-
burgli. It is very economically conducted, and is to
say Uio truth, a poor concern "
— which is perhaps seeing the journal through
party spectacles. Subsequent editors were a son
of Buchanan, James Dundas White, and W.
Downing Bruce. In 1852 the imprint was: "Printed
and published for the proprietors at the ofHce,
265 High Street, in the parish of the High Church,
in the county of Edinburgh, by Thomas Allan of
No. 20 St. Andrews Square, in the parish of St.
Andrews, in the county of Edinburgh." In 1859
the imprint bore that the paper was printed and
published for the firm by William Lindsay.
James Robie, an Irishman, came to take charge
of the journal in 1856. Under his management
an important modification was made in the style
of the Mercury. On August 29, 1859, it appeared
as The Caledonian Mercury and Daily Express.
The latter journal had for some time been in
distress, and various vain efforts had been made
to dispose of it by sale. From the Mercury^ s
notice of the union, no one would have guessed
lo8
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[January, 1907
that the Expnss was otherwise than in a flourish-
ing condition. It said that the incorporation was
"owing to the growth of advertiaemontB in their
columiift, and the difficulty of meeting all the demands
on their space in the way of correspoudenoe and news"
— a reason which, to the common man, would
seem a good one for keeping the two journals
apart. The Mercury made the occasion one for
enlarging its size by four columns, and for an-
nouncing its policy as that of '* sound Liberalism,
coupled with sound morality and religion." At
the same date the two weekly journals, issued
from the two offices, were also amalgamated, this
time the Expresses offshoot taking precedence in
the title, which became the Weekly Herald, To
round off the transaction, the proprietors declared
that ** the circulation of the two papers combined
will be, it is believed, more than four times greater
than any weekly journal in the city." The second
half of the name of the parent journal was dropped
after a few weeks.
When Robie become editor, the paper was
generally regarded as moribund. It was thought
of as "commercially weak and politically dead."
In the year preceding the new editor's advent, the
loss had been ;£'i,76o. Robie's vigorous work,
however, did much to resuscitate its fortunes, and
he gradually brought it to paying point. On
January 7, 1861 — the pseudo-centenary of the
paper — an unusually outspoken article on the
standing of the journal appeared. Among other
things it said :
" It would be worse than folly were we on an occasion
like the present to attempt to disguise the fact that
the Caieaonian Mercury of late years changed to some
extent its policies and principles, and that it is now
on a variety of questions— ix>litlcal, social, and re-
ligious—very much the opposite of what it formerly
was. The simple matter of fact Is the Mercury, owing
to a variety of circumstances, had almost ceased to be
regarded as having principles worth eneii^tic support,
ur entitling itself to be supported. It had got into a
'feckless' sort of existence, satisfactory enough to a
certain class of canna-be-fashed readers in town and
comity : it wanted something calculated to enlist the
sympathies and command the support of the Scottish
people. To what state It had been reduced in this
city it is not for us to say : our opponents, however, as
well as our friends, will, we think, readily acknowledge
that they did not expect it to live another century,
that they were not unimpressed by reports sedulously
and maliciously circulated that Its days were numbered,
and that these days could not at the time exceed a
few weeks, months, or possibly a year."
The proprietors, however, say that a change had
come, and that
" the Mercury has never been, during the two centuries
of its history, on so firm a footing, and in so prosperous
a condition as to circulation and advertising, as it is
at this moment, and has been during the past twelve
months."
The cock-crowing was somewhat premature.
Three months afterwards the Daily Review was
started, nominally as the opponent of the Scotsman
but in reality of the Mercury, although both the
Review and the Mercury were supposed to be
supporters of the Free Church. Kobie was offered
the editorship ol the new venture, but declined.
The Mercury was hard struck, and the closing
struggle of the venerable print almost immediately
began.
In 1862 Thomas Allan transferred the journal
to his brother Robert, who retained it only for a
short time, when the family ended their connec-
tion with it. The editor explained Allan's with-
drawal in the following terms :
" The chief reason he assigned to me being that the
principles I was snpporthig and the men with whom I
was most intimat^y associated were prejudicially
affecting him in his business as a stockbrtriter. and
that he could not any longer afford to go on fighting
on commercial principles beside so prosperous a paper
as the Scotsman, and In face of so largely subsidised a
concern as the oiigao of the Free Church, which, he
remarked at the time, had first come down to a bawbee
and then gone up to a double sheet daily at a penny,
determined apparently at all risks to beat him out of
the field."
The new proprietor was none other than James
Robie himselL According to the statements made
in the Mercury, the transference was an act in-
spired by the warmest regard for and confidence
in the editor. The public announcement stated
that
" llie late proprietor, finding his profeasional business
so onerous as to demand all his attention and time,
and tiddng Into consideration the character of our
own labours since our connection with the journal,
has handed over to us the Mercury in a spirit and on
terms the friendliness and liberality of which we
would fall suitably to characterise.*'
It would appear that Robie paid ;^ 1,250 for the
paper, and his name was given in the imprint as
proprietor for the first time on Saturday, April 5,
1862. As ii to adumbrate the journal's subsequent
fate, a scroll title of oak leaves, which recalled a
similar device in the Scotsnum, was at the same
time adopted.
Robie's subsequent connection with the Mercury
was most unhappy. The paper failed to pay, and
his monetary transactions at the time of the trans-
ference and afterwards gave rise to an embittered
pamphlet* and newspaper controversy. Robie
maintained that he had been entrapped into ac-
cepting the proprietorship by unfulfilled promises
of support from the Radicals of Edinburgh. They,
on the other hand, held that the transaction was
a purely private one, and that the money they had
furnished was lent and not given outright. The
end was that in 1866 Robie was declared bank-
rupt, and surrendered the paper.
The Mercury was acquired by William Saunders,
and the new imprint appeared on Monday, July 2.
It ran : ** Printed and published by William Hunt,
No. 257 High Street, in the parish of the High
Church of Edinburgh" — an imprint practically
maintained to the end.
*"The Representative Radicals of Edinburgh," by James
Robie. Edinburgh : \V. P. Nimmo, 1867. 56 pp., Bvo,
yrlce one shilling. "Reply to the Attempt made by Mr.
ames Robie to Extort £1,100 by means oi a Threatening
I^etter," by Duncan ^fcLaren, Esq. (M.P.]. Edinborgh:
Wm. Ollphant A Co., 1867. 28 pp., 8vo.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
109
" Mr. iSannders was the proprietor of an estabUtihinent
tn London, at which the news of each day was pre-
pared by an organised staff, and leading articles written
on the principal current topics. The matter thus
furnished was set up in type, stereotyped, and sent to
Pl>'niouth, Hull, Newcastle, and other places in which
the firm owned papers, or where the proprietors of
other newspapers were willing to pay for the com-
modity. As many as eight columns of stereotyped
general news, summary, and leaders were thus pro-
vided daily."— Norrie's "Newspapers," p. 6.
The Mirctity was added to this list, and at the
same time (July 2) an evening edition was also
sent ont at 4*30, price |d., the avowed object of
which was to improve the circulation of news on
local matters. This arrangement continued for a
fortnight only, and on Monday, July 16, 1866, the
Mercury appeared wholly as an evening paper,
4 PPm 5 columns to the page, and in a smaller
folio. The price was ^d. The proprietor said
that his fortnight's experience had ''proved beyond
controversy that Edinburgh requires an evening
newspaper."
The city did perhaps require such a journal, but
evidently the Mercury was not fitted to supply the
need. For nearly a year the attempt was made,
but the struggle against adversity could not be
maintained, and the Mercury had to give way.
In the valedictory leader the reason is frankly and
facetiously stated as being the same as that of the
governor of Antwerp for not firing a salute — want
of powder. The last number was issued April 20,
1867, and in announcing the end the editor said :
" It is unnecessary to enter into any detailed explana-
tion of the causes that have combined to Induce the
conductors to take this step. The succeu of the
CdUdoman Mercury as a paper, and under its present
management, has been considerable, but it has been
found impossible to carry on without i>ecnniary loss
the publication of a paper at so low a price as kd.
Another cause which has largely contributed to this
result has been the great extension of the telegraphic
arrangements of the morning papers, and especially
the successful efforts of the Seoteman to rival the
London morning papers in the fullness and earliness
of its news. By these arrangements intelligence, pub-
lished in other towns in the afternoon, has been very
generally anticipated here in the morning, and the
evening paper, though often highly useful in the one
case. Is thus almost unnecessary in the other."
The reference to the Scotsman is explained by the
fact that that prosperous journal had bought the
Mercury, The name of the defunct paper was
allowed for a time to appear as a sub-title of the
Weekly Scotsman^ but it ultimately was dropped
there too. Thus died the venerable journal known
for long as '* Granny Mercury," because of its age
and simple manners.
MSS., and, at this distance of lime, may prove
of some little interest. I have not, so far, ascer-
tained for whom the Laird of Ballindalloch
sought to obtain the presentation. The letter
runs : —
Sir, — I am favoured with yours of the 31st of July,
and am extreamely sorry that your Letter has come
too late only by three weeks, having then given a
Presentation to a Gentleman's Son of the name of
Lumsden, who is married to a Gentlewoman of my
own name and my Cousen. You may believe me
that I wanted an Opportunity, had your letter come
timeously, to have done you a favour, you being my
Father's old Comerad, and one I have a particular
Kindness and Regard for.
There were some of the Masters of the New Town
CoUedge with me here this Summer, who assured me
that the Bishop of Sarum his Bursaries, Mortified by
him to that Colledge, would be setled against this
ensueing Martimass, which are hundred pounds, and
much better than mine in the King's Colledge ; if
this happens, I do assure you by this that your friend t
shall have the Preference to any that shall apply for
this Presentation, altho he should be a Burnet. And
if your friend could wait untill the next Burse in the
King's Colledge shall be vacant, he shall certainly
have the Presentation from me, or any other you
shall recommend to me, failing this Bearer your
fTriend. I shall be very fond to see you here when
you come to this Country, and believe I am, with
much Esteem
D'Sir
Your very AfTectionat humble Serv*
A. Burnett
Leyes 12*'* Aug: 1730
Endorsed :
To
Colonel William Grant
at his House of
Bendallach.
It will be noted that an intimacy had existed
between the father of the writer of the letter
and Colonel Grant. Perhaps some reader may
be able to state whether they had been com-
panions-in-arms, or under what circumstances so
special a friendship arose.
H. D. M*W.
26 Circus Drive,
Glasgow.
W. J. COUPBR.
The Burnet Bur.sarie.s at Aberdeen.—
The original'of the subjoined letter touching on
these bursaries, written by a member of the
family of Burnet, is preserved with the Tammore
Aberdeen Arms (2nd S., VI I L, 90).— It has
been pointed out to me that the pictorial re-
presentation of the Aberdeen arms obtained
from the Lyon's oflfice in 1674 has not the three
turrets on the tops of the three towers, so they
must be a local idea. The three towers in it are
each double-towered, as on the old seal ; and f
there had been another storey rising out of the
upper, the towers would then have answered to
the written description.
John Milne.
no
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[January, 1907
Still Room (2nd S., VIII., 45, S4, 68).—
For a long time before 1660 the (iovernment
did not interfere with the distillation of aqua
vitae, which till then was used only as a medicine.
The mistress of a large mansion kept a still
for distilling lavender water, rose water, pepper-
mint. Queen of Hungary water, and whisky, all
on a small scale. But private distillation has
almost ceased, though a small still licence costs
only 5s., and yet the name "still room'* remains.
The plans of Marischal College show a still
room where liquors are kept, not made, and it
is a common thing to see an advertisement for
a still-room maid. Wishing to know the duties
of this person at the present day, I inquired at
ladies and looked in dictionaries without be-
coming much wiser; therefore, on finding a de-
scription of a still room in|Gwilt's "Encyclopn^dia
of Architecture,'' I copied it out for the benefit
of any who, like myself, had experienced diffi-
culty in finding out the duties of a still-room
maid. John Milnk, LL.D.
Quertes.
80Z. The Gordons of Carroll. — This family
has been dealt with by Mr. J. M. Bulloch in the
Ross-shire Journal^ beiijinning September 28, 1906.
He has, however, omitted two members of the
family, as noted by the Aberdeen yournal : —
A>>oiit the 24th of last month, Elizabeth Gordon, Bister
to Lieut. Robert Gordon of the Navy, and aunt to John
Gordon of Carroll, died at Tain. (Journal, April 3, 1780.)
'the })eKinning of this month, died at Inven-harron,
Ross-shire, Elizabeth (Jordon, a maiden sentlewoman,
afred about 77. She was the youngest sister of the late
John Gordon of Carroll, and grand-aunt to the present
John Gordon, Esci. of Carroll. {Jmirnal, May 2, 1774.)
Can any reader throw light on these ladies ?
Ross-shire.
802. Mrs. Gordon of Craig.— In a recent
catalogue of Mr. David Johnston, Edinburgh, occurs
the following entry : —
Gordon (Mrs., of (.'kaki). -"A Tale (»f other Times,"
in a letter to r^dy Dalryniple, Eiphinstono. Craig, 30th
March, 1847. 12 pp.,4to. wrapiKM^. 8<rarce, 105. Presen-
tation to Mr. Cunningham from the authoress.
No copy is in the British Museum. Where can I
see one ? And what is the nature of the booklet ?
J. M. Bulloch.
803. Dr. George Bethune.— Can any reader
furnish the date of the death of this American divine,
who is best known as the author of **The Auld
Scotch Sangs," and supply any information concern-
ing him in addition to that given in ** Modern Scot-
tish Poets"? William Harvey.
804. '* Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush." —
The version of this lyric which is most popular is
that in which the second stanza begins with the
words "In days of mair simplicity." The late
Robert Ford, in his "Vagabond Songs and Ballads,*'
says that it was written by an Edinburgh man,
whose name I heard but have forgotten." Can any
reader supply biographical information concerning
the author? William Harvey.
805. "A GuiD New Year to Ane an* A*.'' —
When did Peter Livingstone, the author of this
popular songf die, and where was he resident at the
time of his death ? William Harvey.
806. The Highland Independent Companies.
— What was the date of raising the first of these
companies ? Are the records of any of them yet
extant, and, if so, where are these preserved ?
H. D. McW.
BiiBwers.
595. Lawrance Subscribers to James For-
dyce's Hymns, 1787 (2nd S., VI., 191). — Will Mr.
R. Johnston Robertson pardon my seeming neglect
to answer his query ? I have in preparation for
publication in instalments in this monthly a list of
all Lawrances, Lawrences, Lawries, Lowries, and a
variety of other forms of the surname, which I have
extracted from the Poll Book of 1696 (lent to me by
Mr. P. J. Anderson). At the same time I take the
opportunity of informing Mr. Robertson that, since
his query appeared, I have letters from several per-
sons asking for family history details.
Robert Murdoch.
768. James Murdoch, Author (2nd S., VIII.,
29, 48). — It may be noted that James Murdoch, M.A.,
issued in 1903, in collaboration with Isoh Yamagata,
**A History of Japan" during the century of early
foreign intercourse (1542-1651), with maps; Kobe,
Japan. Published at the office of the Chronicle,
viii. + 743 pp. R. Robertson.
784. Rhyme on Snuff (2nd S., VIII., 77, 95). —
Repeated fifty years ago by a native of the Braes of
Conglass : —
Sneetam, snatum. muff !
Fine, healthy stuff ;
Clears the een an' quickens the senses,
A little o't dis for sma' expenses.
Is the first line a reminiscence of the Latin grace of
old times? G. W.
792. Gordon House Academy, Kentish Town,
London (2nd S., VIII., gi). — If conjecture be per-
Vol. VIll. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
III
missible on the subject of this query, it might be
surmised that some person bearing the name of
Gordon once resided in what came to be afterwards
known as Gordon House, and that, on leaving it,
the dwelling was converted into an educational
seminary. Does it not now do duty as a private
hotel ? In the closing years of the eighteenth
century the Rev. Sir Adam Gordon was rector of
West Tilbury, Essex. He, or some other person of
the name, may conceivably have occupied a London
house, which in course of time became known by
the name of its owner. W.
793. Edith Aitken (and S., VHL, 91). — I am
unable to furnish the date required by **AIba," or,
indeed, to throw any light on the life of Miss Edith
Aitken, the actress. Perhaps, however, such a
book as Dr. Doran's " Memories of Glasgow," pub-
lished in 1878, and covering the period between i860
and 1877, might supply the desired information.
Dr. Doran possessed an extensive acquaintance with
members of the theatrical profession. W.
791. David Lyndsay (2nd S., VHI., 92). — No
mention is made of ** David Lyndsay " in Halkett
and Laing's "Dictionary of Anonymous and Pseudo-
nymous Literature," and no copy of his book appears
in the ** Edinburgh Advocates' Library Catalogue."
"The London Catalogue ot Books" (1816-51)
assigns " Dramas of the Ancient World" to '* David
Lyndsay." It was an octavo volume, published at
los. 6d. by Cadell. This attribution, however, is
discounted by the statement, made in explicit terms,
by Mr. Ralston Inglis (an indefatigable and careful
investigator), that *• David Lyndsay " was merely a
nom de plume. All trace of the author seems now
to be lost. As "Alba" puts it, his real name is
probably now " lapped in oblivion." ** Alba's" con-
jecture that he was a clergyman is plausible as well
as ingenious. S.
795. "Coxswain Johnnie" (2nd S., VIII., 92). —
Perhaps the song so named may be given in " Vaga-
bond Songs and Ballads, with Notes and Music,"
published, I believe, in two series by Mr. Gardner,
Paisley, and for which the late Mr. Robert Ford
collected materials. Failing this, I fear Mr. Alan
Reid will need to depend on oral recitation in order
to procure a copy of the song. S.
796. Robert Gordon of Xeres de la Fron-
TERA (2nd S., VIII., 92). — I have examined the
marriage registers of a few old magazines dated 1796
and 1827, but have failed to find any reference to
the marriage either of father or daughter. Might
not Lang's (J. D.) "Historical and Statistical Account
of New South Wales" (1834, 2 vols.) supply some
information concerning Mrs. Macduff Baxter, the
daughter of Robert Gordon? I incline to believe
this Gordon to have been of the family of Gordon of
AuchendoUy, of which several members held posses-
sions in the West Indies. W.
797. Ramsay of Abbotshall and Waughton
(2nd S., VIII., 92). — Sir Alexander Grant (" History of
Edinburgh University," I., 200) states that the Rev.
Andrew Ramsay, rector of the University and minis-
ter in Edinburgh, was a younger .son of Ramsay of
Balmain, and that his elder brother " was one of
the first batch of baronets." Foster (" Members of
Parliament: Scotland"), Anderson ("Scottish Na-
tion"), and Burke (" Baronetage") — but the latter
less explicitly — agree in recording only two Sir
Andrews. Speaking of Sir Andrew (No. 2 in the
query), Foster says: " First knighted by the usurper
Cromwell ; created a baronet of Nova Scotia 23rd
January, 1669 ; married Anne, daughter of Hugh
Montgomerie, 7th earl of Eglinton, and died s.p.
1709." It is clearly established by an entry in the
"Edinburgh Register of Interments" that dame
Hepburn (who died in 1672) was the wife of Sir
Andrew Ramsay (No. i). W.
798. The Grants of Auchannachy (2nd S.,
VIIL, 92).— If H. D. McW. will consult Jervise's
" Epitaphs," he will find some account of the Leslies
ofl Kininvie. As much, at least, may be inferred
from a statement made by the editor of the last edi-
tion of Shaw's "History of the Province of Moray."
The editor, Mr. Gordon, partly quotes Jervise's
list of names, and adds further that a genealogical
tree of the Leslies of Kininvie had been prepared by
Mr. A. Young Leslie of Kininvie. " The Annals of
Banff" (2 vols.) in the " New Spalding Club," and
Burke's " Landed Gentry," might also be consulted.
Perhaps Auchannachy is a mistake for some other
name. May it not be intended for Auchernack in
the parish of Abernethy, county of Inverness ?
W. S.
Perhaps Auchannachy may be the old form for
Auchindachy, a Banffshire village three and a half
miles south-west of Keith. I believe the local pro-
nunciation of the word is as spelt in the query.
J. G. R.
799. Mr. George Caw, Printer, Hawick (2nd
S., VIIL, 92). — Hailing myself from the Border
country, I regret my inability to add fresh details to
Mr. James Sinton*s interesting account of George
Caw, the Hawick printer. Mr. Sinton supposes
that he carried on business in Edinburgh and Hawick
simultaneously. Hardly likely, I think. More pro-
bably he transferred his business from Edinburgh
to Hawick for a tew years. It is true that the
" Sermons" of Dr. Charters of Wilton are claimed
as a Hawick book, while, at the same time, it is
true that the '' Sermons " appear in catalogues as
published in Edinburgh. The explanation, I sup-
pose, is that some Edinburgh publisher undertook
to share with Caw the risks of publication. Or, the
book may have been printed in Hawick but published
in Edinburgh. Be that as it may, there is a later
work from Caw's press than any Mr. Sinton has
noted. I have in my possession an old, shabby.
•«*
v.^
112
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[January, 1907
bruised, battered, but fortunately complete copy of
Boston's ** View of the Covenant of Grace," which
bears the imprint, ** Hawick: Printed by George
Caw. 1787." It is the last production I have heard
of as coming from Caw*s press. Shortly afterwards,
he seems to have returned to Edinburgh. At all
events, a ** Sermon on Alms," by Dr. Charters of
Wilton, has its third edition imprinted *' Edinburgh :
Printed by George Caw. 1795." Probably he was
not more than seven or eight years altogether in
Hawick. The name Caw is not very common.
Perhaps, if Mr. Sinton would communicate with
the courteous and accomplished curator of the
Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, Mr.
J. L. Caw, he might learn something about the Caw
family in Scotland. W. S.
800. Prince Charlie's Persian Horse (2nd
S., Vni., 93).— No doubt W. M. M. is right in
supposing the Chevalier indicated on his engraving
to DC the **01d Pretender," commonly known as
"The Chevalier," or, more correctly, "The Old
Chevalier," to distinguish him from his son. Prince
Charlie, "The Young Chevalier." Chevaliers, how-
ever, abounded in those days. The aide-de-camp
of Lord George Murray, commanding the rebel
forces during the '45, was called the Chevalier de
Johnstone. Another chevalier of the same period,
Andrew Michael Ramsay, happened, curiously
enough, to be tutor to the Old Pretender's two sons
for a short time at Rome, but was driven from the
city by the intrigues of certain persons connected
with the Pretender's court. There can be no reason-
able doubt, however, that James, the Old Pretender,
is meant by the title "Chevalier" in the query.
The engraving itself I take to have been a kind of
political cartoon, having perhaps some recondite
allegorical reference to the tale of the " Enchanted
Horse "in the "Arabian Nights." Probably it was
originally circulated in this country at the time of
some Parliamentary election, when feeling ran high
between partisans of the rival families of Stuart and
Hanover. So far as I can recall in historv, there is
no horse associated with Prince Charlie's name —
much less a Persian horse. On the other hand, his
meteoric career might well suggest the Arabian
legend of the " Enchanted Horse," which was pre-
sented, by the way, with no good intent, to the
monarch of Persia. W. S.
Xiterature.
A Jacobite Stronghold of the Churchy being
the Story of Old St. Paul's, Edinburgh : its
Origin on the Disestablishment of Episcopacy
in Scotland, 1689, through Jacobite years on-
ward to the Oxford Movement ; and its Relation
to the Scottish Consecration in 1784 of the first
Bishop of the American Church. By Mary E.
Ingram, Edinburgh. Edinburgh : R. Grant
and Son. 1907. [10+ 124 pp., crown 8vo, with
four illustrations.]
Under this long and somewhat ambiguous
title Miss Ingram gives a most painstaking and
interesting narrative of a hitherto neglected
phase of the intimate connection between the
Jacobite and Episcopal parties during the politi-
cal struggle. Old St. Paul's was a church mili-
tant, buoyant when the tide of war was with
them and pathetically depressed as the fated
Jacobitism ripened to a "lost cause" — a cause,
however, which to this day does not lack its
adherents. If we eliminate the warlike ele-
ment. Old St. PauPs as a church bears a strong
family likeness to other churches, but it is
gratifying to note that, after toil .ind storm,
pains and penalties, have come times of progress
and prosperity more affluent than this old his-
torical church ever before enjoyed.
Scots Boofis ot tbe /l^oittb.
Qelkie, Sir Archibald. Scottish Reminiscences.
Cheap Edition. 8vo. Net, 2s. 6d. Maclehose.
Mackay, Rev. Ansrus, M.A. Autobiographical
Journal of John Macdonald, Schoolmaster and
Soldier, 1770- 1830. 4 Plates. 8vo. Net, 28. 6d.
Halkirk: D. Y. Forbes.
Marshall, H. E. Scotland's Story. With Pic-
tures by J. R. Skelton, John Hassall, and J. Shaw
Crompton. 4to. Net, 7s. 6d.
T. C. & E. C. Jack.
Stark, James, D.D., Aberdeen. Some of the
Last Things. 8vo. Net, 2s. 6d.
Aberdeen : David Wyllie & Son.
Stlrllns:. Amelia Hutchison, M.A. (Edln.).
A Sketch of Scottish Industrial and Social History
in the i8th and igth Centuries. Illustrated with
Portraits. 8vo. Net, 6s. Blackie.
The Woodhouselee MS. A Narrative of Events in
Edinburgh and District during the Jacobite Occu-
pation, September to November, 1745. Printed
from the Original Papers in the possession of
C. E. S. Chambers. Only 75 copies printed. Im-
perial 8vo. Net, 5s. Chambers.
NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.
All communications should be accompanied by an
identifying name and address. As publication day
is the 25th of each month, copy should be in a few
days earlier. Ed.
Printed and Published at The Eosemount Press, Aberdeen.
Literary communications should be addressed to the JMiCor,
23 Osborue Place, Aberdeen; Advertisements and Bostn
Letters to the Publishers, Farmer's Hall Lane, Aberdeen.
SCOTTISH
NOTES AND QUERIES.
voL.vin. 1 ja^ Q
2iid Skriks. J ^^^' °*
February, 1907.
KlGI8TKRBD{gjJ»Mi^^
CONTENTS.
NoTHS :—
Bibliography of Works on the 8t«wart and Stuart
Familiea Jjj
HadeUne Smith 115
Lawranceand Lawrence Families in Aberdeenshire,
1696 "0
Notoble Men and Women of Forfarshire 118
A Bibliography of Edinburgh Periodical Literature 121
Bibliography of Aberdeen Periodicals Ig
Gordons of Auchinreath 124
Aberdeen Bibliography Ig
The Scot and His Regiments 12d
MmoE Notes :—
Alex. J. Warden 118
Principal Rainy's Genealogy— Henry Farqnharson. . . 12*
Cant Family 125
Queries :—
Inglis Family— A Mackie Marriage— Captain George
Gordon, R.N. - Sir Cosmo Gordon — Longmore
Family— Adam Gordon, Navy Surgeon— Gordon-
Anderson Marriage— Tinder Boxes in Church—
Jardine, Rannie, Dundas— Alexander Gordon of
Camoiisie— James Watson's "History of Printing,"
Edinburgh, 1713— Caddell, alias Macpherson 126
Duff Family 127
AUSWERS :—
"Blackwood's Magazine "—The Name McKelvIe—
Dr. George Bethune 127
LITKRATUEE 128
Scow Books of the Month 128
ABERDEEN, FEBRUARY, 1907.
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS ON THE
STEWART AND STUART FAMILIES.
In accordance with the request of Mr. Eugene
Fairfield McPike (2nd S., VII., 53), I herewith
append a list of published works bearing upon
the history of the above surnames. These have
been collected from various sources, notably
from Mr. G. Harvey Johnston's bibliography
contained in his work, " Heraldry of the Stew-
arts," published this year. As I am contem-
plating the publishing of addenda to the pub-
lished notes on clan literature marshalled by
Mr. P. J. Anderson (ist S., V., 125, 126; 2nd
S., L, 190, 191), additional references may be
sent, addressed to me, c/o the Editor of this
journal.
1. A Trewe Description of the Nobill Race of the
Stewards. Amsterdam, 1603, folio.
2. Memoirs of the Family of the Stuarts, and the
Remarkable Providence of God towards them.
Page gy John Watson. London, 1683, 8vo.
3. DeKnce of the Royal Line of Scotland. By Sir
George Mackenzie. Two tracts. London,
1685, 8vo ; 1686, 4to.
4. Royal Family Described: or, the Characters of
James I., Charles I., Charles II., James II.
By Mr. Stewart. London, 1702, 4to.
5. Chronological, Genealogical, and Historical Dis-
sertation of the Royal Family of the Stuarts.
By Matthew Kennedy. Paris, 1705, 8vo.
6. A Genealogical History of the Stewarts from the
year 1034-1710. By George Crawfurd. Edin-
burgh, 1710, folio; Paisley, 1782, 4to (con-
tinued) ; Paislev, 1818, 4to (continued).
7. Genealogical and Historical Account of the Illus-
trious Name and Family of Stewart, to the
Accession of the Imperial Crown of Scotland.
By David Simson. Edinburgh, 1712, 8vo;
London, 17 13, 4 to.
8. Essay on the Origin of the Royal Family of the
Stewarts. By Richard Hay. Edinburgh, 1722,
4to; 1793.
g. A Short Historical and Genealogical Account of
the Royal Family of Scotland, and of the Sur-
name, from the First Founder of that Name.
By Duncan Stewart Edinburgh, 1739, 4to,
with chart.
10. The Right of the House of Stewart to the Crown
of Scotland Considered. Edinburgh, 1746
(second edition).
11. Letters to the Right Hon. Lord Mansfield, from
Andrew Stewart, on the History and Gene-
alogies of the Stewarts. 1773.
12. State of the Evidence for Proving that Sir John
Stuart of Castlemilk is the Lineal Heir Male of
Sir William Stuart of Castlemilk, who lived in
the Fourteenth Century. 1794, 4to.
13. Ap Historical Genealogy of the Royal House of
Stuart. By Mark Noble. London, 1795, 4to.
14. Genealogical History of the Stuarts, from the
Earliest Period of their Authentic History to the
Present Time. By Andrew Stuart, M.P. Lon-
don, 1798, 4to.
15. Genealogy of the Stewarts Refuted. By Sir
Henry Steuart. Edinburgh, 1799, 4to. (Being
a letter to Andrew Stuart, M.P.; No. 14.)
16. Supplement to the Genealogical History of the
Stewarts. By Andrew Stuart 1799, 4to.
17. View of the Evidence for Proving that the
Paternal Ancestor of the Present Earls of
Galloway was the Second Son of Sir Alexander
Stewart of Darnley. By E. Williams, 1801, 410.
■*■ — ■ =' »
114
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[February, 1907
18. Salt Foot Controversy, involving the Descent
of the Family of Allanton. By J. Riddell.
Edinburgh, 1818, 8vo.
19. Genealogical Account of the Royal House of
Stuart, from the Year 1043 down to the Present
Period. By Thomas Waterhouse. Grantham,
1826, 8vo.
20. Jacobite Minstrelsy, with Notes containing His-
torical Details in Relation to the House of Stuart
from 1640 to 1784. Glasgow, 1829.
21. History of the Partition of the Earldom of Len-
nox, with a Vindication of the Antiquities of
Merchiston and Thirlestane. By Mark Napier.
Edinburgh, 1835, 8vo.
22. Additional Remarks upon the Question of the
Lennox or Rusky Representation. By John
Riddell. 1835, 8vo.
23. Coltness Collections, comprising Memorials of
the Stewarts of Allanton, Coltness, etc. By
Mrs. Calderwood. 1842, 4to.
2). Stewartiana, containing the Case of King Robert
II. and Elizabeth Mure. By J. Riddell. Edin-
burgh, 1843, 8vo.
25. Genealogical and Historical Sketch of the
Stuarts of the House of Castle Stuart in Ire-
land. By the Hon. A. G. Stuart With plates.
Edinburgh, 1854, 4to.
26. Fitzallan and Stuart. By Ayton. 1856.
27. Descendants of the Stuarts: an Unchronicled
Page in England's History. By William Town-
end. Portraits and genealogical trees. London,
February, 1858, 8vo ; October, 1858, 8vo ; 1867,
8vo.
28. Red Book of Grantully. By Sir William Eraser.
Edinburgh, 1868, 4to. 2 vols.
29. The Lennox. By Sir William Eraser. Edin-
burgh, 1874, 4to. 2 vols.
30. Memorials of the Stewarts of Fothergill, Perth-
shire, and their Male Descendants, with an
Appendix containing Title Deeds, various Docu-
ments of Interest in the History. By Charles
Poyntz Stewart, M.A., Trin. Coll., Camb. ;
F.S.A. Scot., etc. Printed tor private cir-
culation by W. & A. K. Johnston, Edinburgh
and London, 1879^ 4to, 160 pp. Full of pedi-
grees and facsimiles of charters (1455 upwards),
arms, views, etc.
31. The Lanox of Auld : an Epistolatory Review of
"The Lennox," by William Eraser. By Mark
Napier. Edinburgh, 1880, 4to.
32. Stuart of Allanbank (1643-1880). By Louisa L.
Forbes. Folding sheet. Edinburgh, 1880.
33. Stewarts of Appin. By John H. J. and Lieut -
Col. Duncan Stewart Edinburgh, 1880, 4to.
34. Red Book of Menteith. By Sir William Eraser.
Edinburgh, 1880, 4to (2 vols.).
35. Dukes of Albany and their Castle of Doune. By
Sir William Eraser. Edinburgh, 1881, 4to.
36. Stuart of Allanbank Family History, including
the Families of Bethune, Eden, Elliot, Marjori-
banks, Stuart, and Trotter. Their pedigrees
compiled by Mrs. G. E. Forbes. 1881.
37. Red Book of Menteith Reviewed. By George
Burnett. Edinburgh, 1881, small 4to.
38. Sidelights on the Stuarts, with Portraits, Fac-
similes of Documents, etc. By F. A. Inderwick.
1888, 8vo.
39. Exhibition of the Royal House of Stuart A
catalogue of Jacobite pictures, relics, etc. Lon-
don, 1889.
40. The Royal House of Stuart. Illustrated by a
series of 40 coloured plates drawn from relics ot
the Stuarts by William Gibb ; with an intro-
duction by John Skelton, and descriptive notes
by W. H. St John Hope. London, 1890.
41. Some Account of the Stuarts of Aubigny in
France. By Lady Elizabeth Cust (1422-1672.)
1891.
42. Pedigree of the House of Stewart. Compiled
for the Stewart Exhibition. By W. A. Lindsay.
Large chart, 1891.
43. Studies on Peerage and Family History. By
J. Horace Round. London, 1901, 8vo.
44. The Story of the Stewarts. Printed for the
Stewart Society, 1901. The author of this
volume is Mr. James King Stewart He is,
says The Celtic Monthly (XIII., page 141
[1905]), descended in one line from Stewarts of
Tulloch and Invervack in Atholl, and In another,
from Stewarts in Glengairn and Strathdon in
Aberdeenshire. The same journal states that
he has also started a genealogical and historical
magazine (**The Stewarts") for the Society,
acts as editor, and has contributed articles on
the present heir male of the Stewarts, which
inter alia trace the early history of the rival
families of Galloway and Castle Stuart. On
his favourite subject he writes with care a.nd
authority, and has the happy faculty of present-
ing his historical information in a manner inter-
esting alike to the general reader and the
genealogical expert.
45. The Stuarts: Illustrations of Personal Histor}'
of the Family (especially Mary Queen of Scots)
in 1 6th, 17th, and i8th Century Art. By J. J.
Foster. 2 vols., folio. Published by Dickinson,
London, 1902.
46. The Heraldry of the Stewarts, with Notes on
all Males of the Family, Descriptions of the
Arms, Plates, and Pedigrees. By G. Harvey
Johnston, author of "Scottish Heraldry made
Easy." Edinburgh and London: W. & A. K.
Johnston, Limited, 1906. 4to, contains 8 plates,
with representations of 128 arms in colour,
recorded by Stewarts.
47. Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Publications.
Vol. XX. : Charm Stone of the Stewarts of
Ardvorlish. By Sir Noel Paton. (Also Vol.
XXVII.) Vol. XXIX., Monumental Effigy.
48. Last of the Royal Stuarts: Henry Stuart,
Cardinal Duke of York. By Herbert M.
Vaughan, B.A.Oxon. 8vo. . Metheun, London,
1906.
Aberdeen.
Robert Murdoch.
_
Vol VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
"5
MADELINE SMITH.
The trial of this woman for alleged poisoning
of her French leman in 1857 was the greatest
Scottish criminal case of the last century. I was
in Glasgow at the time, and, like other people,
made a pilgrimage to Blythwood Square, and had
**a guid glower at the hoose," and I vividly re-
member the wrangles at night and street fights
during the course of the trial. There are plenty
of books on this famous case, and therefore I
am not going to trespass therein ; but I cannot
help recalling to mind that the verdict of " Not
proven" seemed to interest our southron friends
more than the crime itself—" Ah ! so un-English
you know." They considered that their own
clumsy legal procedure was the perfection of
human wisdom ; other people denounce it as
obsolete jargon and a complex maze of cobweb-
bery. But I must not digress, for my concern is
solely for the accused woman's Australian career.
Madeline Smith's life for fifteen years after
her trial is a blank not easily filled up. A writer
in the Scotsman appears to know all about it, and
I am somewhat timorous in venturing to ques-
tion the dictum of so oracular an authority. How-
ever, I candidly confess that I do not believe in
the story of her triple marriage— it is sensation
run mad Her first mate is stated to have been
some English parson, attracted thereto by an
annuity which she had — likely bait for a greedy
chunk, but scarcely good enough for a clergy-
man, who would have been shunned thereafter m
any decent society. Her second husband, Dr.
Tudor Hora, was m reality the only one she ever
had. The story of her third husband, a Mr.
Wardle, is a myth. Of that I feel confident. V>r,
Hora was a Welsh medical student at Glasgow
University, and acquainted with her before
the trial. He was fascinated with her attractive-
ness, for she was a grand-looking lady, even
when fifty years old, when I saw her for the first
time. She was married shortly after her trial,
and they are reported to have lived in Wales,
London, the Continent, and even America.
It is all conjecture; but we get trustworthy
evidence that they lived together in Perth, West
Australia, during the seventies. Dr. Hora
was in practice there, and she was a proficient
pianist, and 1 presume that they lived comfort-
ably, especially with that annuity of hers — to
wit, Ji^po per annum.
But the Scotsman scribe avers that she was
discovered in Perth by some Glasgow blathers-
kite, and in consequence had to make a hasty
flight to Melbourne. We are likewise told that
she evinced unusual emotion at a public concert
on hearing Robert Gilfillan's song, " Oh why left
I my hame?" and had to leave. May or may
not be true. I m)rself have seen hardy Scotch
stonemasons weeping on hearing Sandy Hume's
fine song, " The Scottish Emigrant's Farewell,"
which I have heard poor Sandy himself sing in
the lang ago. I am inclined to discard both
stories. Recently I had a long interview with an
old journalistic friend, a warm-hearted son of Erin,
who had spent fifteen years in West Australia,
living mostly in Subiaco, a suburb of the city of
Perth, which is the capital of that colony. I
asked him about Madeline Smith, and gave him
an outline of her history, winding up with the
song yarn, which he termed, contemptuously,
" sentimental rot." He said he had never heard
of her before, and then assured me that, although
there were good men — "real white men"— on the
gold-fields, the place swarmed with scallawags
and swindlers, blackguards and demireps, heed-
less of morality and religion, not caring a straw
who their neighbours were, only anxious to keep
their antecedents in the dark, intent on making
their pile by fair or foul means (no matter which),
and then clear out of the colony for somewhere
else to spend it. Society was demoralised and
fluctuating, new-comers arriving, old ones going
away, or "joining the majority," and all in a
state of feverish unrest, sometimes convulsed
with rumours of richer diggings farther off, when
there would be a general stampede in that
direction. 1857 was to them very ancient
history, and they were more interested in
present "sticking up," and bushranging exploits ;
the poisoning of a &vourite dog affected them
more than the accidental one of a frog-eating
Frenchman. He laughed scornfully at the idea
of any woman being molested on account of the
past, and as I had myself edited an up-country
newspaper in a mining township, I knew he was
right,and acquiesced in the justice of his remarks.
The fact is that Dr. and Mrs. Hora tired of
Perth, as many colonists do, and came to Mel-
bourne during the eighties. He started in prac-
tice at Footscray, a quasi-salubrious suburb,
sacred to bone-mills and boiling-down rookeries.
Here Madeline was recognised, for my niece liv-
ing there questioned me keenly about the trial of
1857, and then told me that Mrs. Hora, when
she took a walk abroad, was stared at persistently
and even followed. This espionage becoming
insupportable. Dr. Hora removed to Lygon
Street, Carlton, and not to North Melbourne, as
stated by some writers. I was living there
myself, and know positively that she did not
reside there. 1 had to pass and repass Dr.
Hora's surgery pretty often on my way to work
in the Exhibition Huilding in the Gardens, and
was on the look-out for Madeline, whom I did
ii6
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[February, 1907
see occasionally. From my niece's description
I soon spotted the heroine. Of course I kept
my knowledge to myseU. At night Dr. Hora
had a flaring red lantern over the door, and on
going home one evening I saw Madeline enter-
ing the house. Knowinfg that she was " a woman
with a past," I had a good look at her before she
shut the door. A man standing on the kerb
remarked to me, " That's the doctor's wife, she's
a regular tragedy queen." His guess, although
made at random, was nearer the mark than he
supposed ; but I said nothing, inly cogitating
upon Clytemnestra, Beatrice Cenci, and Mary
Blandy, and that Madeline Smith had been more
fortunate than any of them.
Shortly after, on New-Year*s Day, I had
further confirmation, for a number of *'brither
Scots" visited me, and we had **a*wee drappie
o't." Amongst the company was a commercial
traveller from New Zealand, named Telford, who
was generally a loquacious chap ; but on this
occasion he was abnormally dull and distrait.
He was rallied upon his silence, and after an
extra "toothfu"' he thusly unburdened himself : —
*'Weel, boys, I confess that I am troubled in
mind. 1 saw MadeHne Smith in the Carlton
Gardens this morning. We had been children
together in Glasgow, and knew each other at
sight. Poor woman ! she is very unhappy, and
she implored me to keep her secret. I feel
deeply affected at this chance interview, and
cannot efface it from my mind." I told him not
to worry over the matter, for it was an open
secret to us all, as we had known it for some
time, and had no intention to harass the
unfortunate woman.
Well, Dr. Hora died about 1889, and I
presume that his widow relumed to West
Australia, where she had acquaintances, and in
all probability died at Perth on the 20th
September, 1893. I have three sufficient reasons
for this statement.
First. — I was in Melbourne at the time of her
alleged death there, and never heard a word
about it, although I am an assiduous reader of
the daily press ; but I did see a paragraph
some weeks after that date to the effect that
Madeline Smith had died in Perth. Some Scotch
friends talked about it. Thousands of miles
separate Melbourne from Perth, and the
colony of South Australia intervenes between.
I I takes a week's steaming, the run between the
ports. I have made that voyage. Home writers
make sad blunders in our geography.
Second. — I ransacked the files of the Mel-
bourne Argus 2Si^ Age for September, 1893, and
saw no announcement of the death of Mrs.
Hora, or Wardle, or funeral notice either, and it
must be a poverty-stricken person, indeed, whose
friends cannot afford that expense. Madeline
Smith was never in want of money.
Third. — I went to the Melbourne General
Cemetery, and interviewed the secretary (a Scot)
in his office anent the matter. He declared
that he had never heard that Madeline Smith
had been buried there, and at my desire he
overhauled the register of interments for
September and October, 1893. Result — No
Madeline Smith, Hora, or Wardle buried there
during those months, or even of any woman
with the Christian name of Madeline.
Such are my reasons for disbelief that
Madeline Smith died in Melbourne. Poor,
erring, passionate creature ! She found an " unco
grave " in the Perth Cemetery, in all probability,
amongst the waifs and strays there garnered in
from all parts of the world.
Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
LAWRANCEandL.WVRENCE FAMILIES
IN ABERDEENSHIRE, 1696.
Always interested in genealogical publications
and works dealing with family history, and more
so since I became a subscriber to this journal,
I have extracted the whole notes relating to the
above surname and its variations from the Poll
Book of 1696, which I hope will be found of
service to those engaged in family history. To
Mr. P. J. Anderson I am indebted for the use of
the volumes whence the references are taken.
The Rev. James Forrest, The Manse, Lonmay,
has also greatly lightened my labours by assist-
ing in making genealogical deductions of Law-
rences in his district. Should this meet the eye
of any person bearing the surname in Buchan,
I hope they will communicate with me, and
thus help to gather together sufficient materials
for the genealogy of the name for future pub-
lication.
VOLUME I.
Parish of Crathie.
152. Alexander Lowrie, and his wife, of generall
poll ..... . . I2S.
Parish of Bethelnie. Frostkrhill.
324. Margarat Laurence, servant, for fee and gene-
rall poll, is los.
Parish of Invernochtie. Corneill.
54T. Item, William Lawrence, his servant, £'9 of
fee per annum, fortieth pairt whereot is 4s. 6d.,
and generall poll, 6s., inde both is los. 6d.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
"7
549-
550-
565.
565-
580.
60Z.
Parish of Peterhead.
Note : — Christian Hamptoun, in Invernettie,
1696, paid 36s. (was tennent).
Christian Hamptoun, in Invernettie, her pro-
portione of the valued rent, ut supra, is
£1 i6s. 8d., of generall poll is . £2 2S. 8d.
Note: — The above is inserted for reference, as
Thomas Lawrance and his wife, Isobel Reid,
occupied the farm for a number of years.
Thomas Lawrance was formerly a farmer in
Cairnchina, Lonmay. Both he and his wife
are said to be buried in the old churchyard at
Peterhead.
Peterhead. Dens.
Alexander Tulloch of Clerkhill, his valuatione
in the said parioch is . . ;f 200 os. od.
The hundreth pairt whereof is payable be the
tennents (one of whom was) William Law-
rance 8s.
The said William Lawrance, his proportione
of valued rent is 8s., and of generall poll 6s.,
itide both is 14s.
Janet Bruce, his wyfe (no children) . 6s.
LONGSIDE.
Margaret Lawrence, spous to George Mill,
tennent in Rora 6s.
John Milne, his sone, living in the familie, 6s.
Elspet Milne, his daughter, her generall poll
is 6s.
Strichen.
Alexander Lawrence, tennent in Hilsyde 6s.
Michael Pittendreich in Roodbog . los.
602.
602.
SoUrHMAINES.
Margaret Laurance, ther, payes
Borrowhill.
6s.
604.
607.
John Innes, tennent ther, and his wife, their
generall poll 12s.
His proportione of valued rent is . . 6s.
Patrick Lawrance, his herd, his fee per annum
£^y fortieth pairt whereof is is. 6d., and
generall poll 6s., both ... 7s 6d.
Walkmilne.
Elizabeth Lawrence, spous to James Fraser,
Stewart to the Laird of Streichen, who is
already classed in his own familie . 6s.
HiLLSVDE.
Alexander Lawrence, tennent ther, and his
wife I2S.
And for valuatione . . .6s.
611.
612.
613.
RoODBOG.
Michael Pittendreich, tennent ther, and his
wife ....... I2S.
And for valuatione .... los.
Parish op Deer. Skillimarno.
John Lawrence, grassman, and his wife 12s.
Milne Bruxie.
Thomas Lawrence, servant, fee per annum £^,
fortieth pairt and generall poll . 8s.
Benwalls.
William Lawrence, weaver, and his wife i8s.
Quart-Ale-House.
William Lawrence, tennent, and his wife, and
for valuatione . . . . ;£i 78. od.
And for Alexander Durie, his man, fee per
annum £6, fortieth pairt with generall poll, 9s.
William Lawrence, grassman, and his wife, I2S.
6r
616.
617.
Windiewalls.
John Lawrence, weaver, and his wife
Midle Aden.
i8s.
624.
627.
628.
George Lawrence, grassman, and his mother,
I2S.
Midle Altrie.
Alexander Lawrence, boy, fee per annum £^,
fortieth pairt and generall poll . 7s. 6d.
Burnehill.
George Lawrence, boy, fee per annum 2 merks,
fortieth pairt and generall poll . 6s. 8d.
Newtone.
Andrew Lawrence, subtenent, and his wife, I2S.
Isobell Lawrance, servant, fee per annum
£2 6s. 8d., fortieth pairt and generall poll,
7s. 2d.
Nether Pitfower.
Thomas Lawrence, tennent, and for valuatione,
i8s.
Alexander, Robert, and Jean Lawrences, his
children iSs.
Jean and Margrett Lawrences, grasswomen,
I2S.
Cryallie.
George Lawrence, grassman, and his wife, 12s.
William Lawrence, herd, his fee per annum
£2, fortieth pairt and generall poll is . 7s.
Walter Lawrence, weaver, and his wife i8s.
Over Creichie.
William Lawrence, grassman, and his wife, 12s.
ii8
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
■ ■ ■ ■ #
[February, 1907
6s.
Town of Clolae West.
629. Agnes Lav/rence, grasswoman
Brae of Biffie.
631. Jean Lawrence, grasswoman
Milne of Skblmure and Corthicran.
633. Alexander Lawrance, fee per annum £8, fortieth
pairt and generall poll is . . . los.
New Knock.
634. George Lawrence, servant, fee per annum £%,
fortieth pairt and generall poll . . los.
Wester Knock.
George Lawrence, grassman, and his wife, 12s.
Kings Crown.
638. George Lawrence, fee per annum 11 merks,
fortieth pairt and general poll 9s. 8d.
John Lawrence, byreman, fee per annum £16,
fortieth pairt and generall poll .14s.
Parish of Rathen.
641. The Lord Saltoune, his valuatione in the said
paroch .... ;C793 6s. 8d.
NOTABLE MEN AND WOMEN OF
^^ FORFARSHIRE.
I I. Abkrcromby, David, M.D. : Medical
! Man and Author. Born Seaton, near Arbroath
(1620 or 1630), he is said to have died in 1695.
The following works ascribed to him appear in
the calalogue of the Advocates' Library,
Edinburgh : — " De Variatione ac Varietatc
pulsus observationes : accessit ejusdem authoris
nova medicinae turn speculativae, turn practicae
clavis, sive ars explorandi medicas plantarum
ac corporum quorumcumque facultates ex solo
sapore," 1685 ; " A Discourse of Wit," i686 ;
" Fur Academic us, sive academia ornamenta
spoliata a furibus, qui in Parnasso coram
Apolline sistuntur, ubi cri minis sui accusantur.
et convincuntur. Editio secunda, 1701.'' A
notice of him appears in an early edition of the
Encyclopipdia Britannica.'*
I t(
His tennents as followes.
John Lawrence in Rathen
643. John Lawrence, wife at Rathen
Robert Murdoch.
(To be continued. )
♦
7s.
6s.
Alex. J. Warden (2nd S., VI II., 45, 64).—
I return thanks to Mr. A. H. Millar, of Dundee,
for his courtesy in answering my query. It gives
the exact information wanted, ana clearly shows
the impress of a literary expert. I consulted
the London Athefurum of 1892 for an obituary
notice of Mr. Warden, as I thought that his able
and useful volumes deserved that recognition
which is usually given to people of smaller talent,
but I was disappointed— nothing there ; and
as the editor of that time was a Scot himself
(the late Norman McCoU), I was surprised at the
omission. I daresay whatever Scottish procliv-
ities he may have had, he was constrained to
keep them in thraldom, lest he should offend the
super-sensitiveness of his English patrons.
None of Mr. Warden's books are in our public
library, but I had a glance at the county history
during a visit to the Old Land recently.
Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
2. Abercrombv or Abercrombie, Patrick :
Historian, etc. He was a Scottish physician,
living in the latter half of the seventeenth and
the beginning of the eighteenth centuries, re-
garding whose history, however, we have only
meagre and contradictory reports. According to
the "National Dictionary of Biography," he was
born in Forfar, 1656 : "third son of Alexander of
Fetterneir, Aberdeenshire, a branch of the house
of Birkenbog in Banffshire." Dr. Grosart puts
his death in the year 17 16, but the date seems
unascertained. He published " The Advantages
of the Act of Security compared with those of
the intended Union : founded on the Revolution
Principles published by Mr. Daniel Defoe ; or,
the present happy condition of Scotland, with
respect to the certainty of its future honourable
and advantageous establishment, demonstrated.
Wherein is show'd that both the projected Union,
and a nomination of a successor to the Crown,
tho' with limitations, cannot fail to comple.i. the
miseries of this Kingdom ; but that the Act of
Security alone, if adher'd to, will in&llibly
retrive our lost happiness, and make us a rich
and glorious people. i7oiS." He was also the
author of the well-known work, " The Martial
Achievements of the Scots Nation : Being an
account of the lives and characters and memor-
able actions of such Scotsmen as have
signalized themselves by the sword at home and
abroad, and a survey of the military transac-
tions wherin Scotland or Scotsmen have been
remarkably concerned, from the first establish-
ment of the Scots monarchy to the present term,
1 7 1 1- 1 5." He also published a translation of the
" History of the Campaigns, 1548 and 1549," by
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
riy
Jean de Beaugue, for which he wrote an intro-
ductory preface.
3. Adam, John ; Poetaster. A veritable
nomad, or, in plain Saxon, a tramp. Born in
Dundee in 1832, he was wont to travel the
country (if aliens may still do so) earning a
precarious living by reciting his poetry and by
the sale of pencil copies of his " generals." He
is noticed in Mr. Alan Reid's Anthology of the
Counties of Angus and the Mearns, who says of
him "his verses are by no means despicable,
but show occasional gleams of talent and flashes
of humour."
4. Adamson, Archibald R. : Poet and
Author, liorn in \rbroath loth March, 1839,
he worked in Glasgow and learned the brass-
finishing trade. After becoming a foreman, he
removed in 1870 to Kilmarnock. He published
** Rambles round Kilmarnock" in 1875, also
" Rambles through the Land of Burns" in 1879.
He has also written verses. His elder brother
is author of " The Abbot of Aberbrothock " and
other novels.
5. Adie, Charles, D.D. : Divine of Church
of Scotland. Bom Dundee 1785, educated at
Grammar School and at St. Andrews University,
he was licensed by the Presbytery of Dundee,
and after a brief probationership was ordained
parish minister of Tealing in 1814, but trans-
lated to the South Church, Dundee, in 1826.
He received his doctorate from St. Andrews in
1833, and was translated and admitted to St.
Mary's Church in 1848. He died 1861, aged 76.
He published ** A Series of Questions to explain
and illustrate the nature and uses of the Lord's
Supper," 1836, also "The Righteousness of a
Nation : A Discourse," 1835, *nd several other
sermons and other compositions. In Dundee
he ministered to a very large congregation.
Never very robust, he yet enjoyed uninterrupted
good health and was rarely absent from his
pulpit. A Moderate in Church politics, but
never a violent one, he declined the Moderator-
ship of the General Assembly some years before
his death. A tablet to his memory was placed
in the East Church, Dundee, 1863.
6. Adie, James : Geologist. A native of '
Dundee, and brought up in the Overgate, he I
showed from boyhood a great love of mountains
and green fields. He was one of the original
members of the ** Dundee Literary and Scientific
Institute," which met in a garret in the High
Street. He made frequent excursions to the
seashore, the Sidlaw Hills, and other localities,
collecting botanical and geological specimens,
and verifying his classifications of them by study
in the Watt Museum. His attention was specially
directed to geology, on which he wrote several
interesting papers, showing considerable range
of knowledge. In March, 1846, he went to
Glasgow, and some time after emigrated to the
United States, where he married, his wife, like
himself, being a native of Dundee. Although in
business, he devoted all his leisure hours to
scientific pursuits. Some time before his death
he was connected with the press in Canada.
His end was a tragic one, for, having been
summoned as a juryman to attend the Quarter
Sessions held at Niagara, he was overtaken by a
snowstorm and perished by exposure 6th April,
1855. Vide Norrie's " Dundee Celebrities.''
7'. Airman, Willlwi : Artist, Portrait
Painter. In several works of reference this
artist is said to have been a native of Aberdeen-
shire, but the Cairney estate, where presumably
he was born, and of which liis father was pro-
prietor, was situated near Arbroath, and was
not, I believe, the Aberdeenshire Cairnie at all.
He was born 24th October, 1682, the son of
William, of Cairney, advocate, by Margaret,
third sister of Sir John Clerk of Penicuik.
Meant by his tather for the law, he preferred to
follow art, and in 1707, on his father's death,
sold his paternal estate, and proceeded to Rome
to study the great masters. He returned to
Scotland in 1702, after having visited Constantin-
ople and Smyrna. Patronised by the Duke of
Argyll, he settled as a portrait painter in London
in 1723. He was much employed by the aristoc-
racy, and had among his friends the Duke of
Devonshire, the Earl of Burlington, Sir Robert
Walpole. He was also intimate with Pope,
Swift, Arbuthnot, Gay, Mallet, and Thomson,
and Allan Ramsay. Aikman died in 1731, and
was buried in Greyfriars Churchyard, Edinburgh.
8. AiRTH, James: Minor Poet. Bom 1804
in Arbroath, and bred a baker, young Airth had
many vicissitudes in life both in Scotland and
America. He published 1848 " Maud's Dream,"
and other poems, and died in 1871. For fuller
notice, see Edwards's ** Modern Scottish Poets,"
Vol. VI.
9. AiTKEN, Sir William, M.D., LL.D. :
Pathologist and Author. A native of Dundee,
and born 23rd April, 1825, this notable physician,
after a distinguished career at Edinburgh
University, where he graduated as M.D. and
Gold Medallist in 1848, entered the Army
Medical Service, where he ultimately became
I20
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES [February, 1907
Professor of Pathology, Army Medical School,
Netley, and Examiner in Medicine for Army
and Indian Medical Services. He was author
(jointly with Dr. Lyons) of a "Report on the
Pathology of the Diseases of the Army in the
East,'' 1856 ; and also published, under his own j
name, " Outlines of the Science and Practice of i
Medicine," 1874 (2nd edit, 1882); **The Doctrine \
of Evolution in its Application to Pathology,"
1885 ; "The Growth of the Recruit and Young
Soldier" (2nd edit, 1887); "On the Animal
Alkaloids," 1887. He died in 1892.
10. Alexander, Alexander Crichton
(Rev.): United Free Church Minister and Poet
A native of Carnoustie, born in 1845, educated !
for the United Presbyterian ministry, he was \
ordained at Douglas in 1872, but translated to
Stoke Newington, London, in 1883, where he
laboured with much acceptance till a year or two
ago, when he retired to Scotland, but soon after |
accepted a call to the United Free Church, !
Saline, where he at present labours. Mr.
Alexander is a man of fine taste, writes graceful
and cultured verse, some examples of which
he published in 1865 and at later dates, while
specimens of his work of a favourable kind are
given in Edwards's " Modern Scottish Poets,"
Vol. V.
1 1. Alexander, Charles : Canadian Phil-
anthropist Bom 18 1 5 in Dundee, after a long
and honoured career in Canada, lasting sixty-
five years, he died in Montreal in the autumn
of 1905. His death drew forth testimonies to ;
his well-spent life from all parties and sects, i
He had been a director of several important
financial and industrial institutions, all of which
passed resolutions expressive of their esteem
and sent representatives to the funeral. The
hospitals, the Societies for the Protection of
Women and Children and for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, the Boys' Home, the House
of Refuge, the Deaf and Dumb Institution,
the Fresh Air Fund, and the Sailors' Institution,
of which and some others he was president,
were all represented there by members of their
committees. The members of the Board of Trade
attended in a body with their president The
Harbour Board also attended, as well as many
members of the Legislature, the City Council,
and other leading citizens. Mr. Alexander had
been senioi: deacon of the Congregational
Church, but ministers of every Protestant de-
nomination took part in the funeral service, the
Archbishop of Quebec paying a beautiful tribute
to the memory and worth of the dead, and con-
cluding the service with the benediction. The
late Sir John Leng, who was present at the
service, gave at the time a graphic sketch of the
scene in the Dundee Advertiser, and spoke of
his friend as one of the best men he had ever
known, and a most generous supporter of many
benevolent societies, as well as a laborious
worker in connection with some of them.
12. Alison, John: Successful Merchant
Born 1763 in Dundee, he died 1845. He held
the office of Distributor of Stamps for forty-six
years. He was remarkable for the interest he
took in all charitable institutions, and was
known for the kindness and consideration with
which he treated his clerks, all of whom were
upwards of twenty years in his employment.
See Norrie's " Dundee Celebrities ; or, Old
Dundee.''
13. Allan, Archibald: Violinist Born
Forfar, circa 1794, he was a violinist and com-
poser of great ability, and a player in Nathanael
Cow's band. As a strathspey player he was
probably the best of his day. He composed
" Miss Gray of Carse," a beautiful slow strath-
spey still much admired. He died in 183 1, it is
understood as the result of ill-treatment from
some farm servants when going home from a
ball.
14. Allan, James : Violinist Bom Forfar,
7th October, 1800, he was a most admirable
violin player, cousin and pupil of No. 13. Ac-
cording to a competent judge, the nearest
approach to Neil Cow's style of playing was
Allan's performance of Daniel Dow^s reel,
" Bonnie Annie." Comparing the two cousins,
another authority says that, ''while Jamie had
no Chance with Archie in strathspey playing, it
was doubtful if Archie could surpass him at the
reels." A concert for his benent was given in
the Kinnaird Hall, Dundee, in 1869. Allan
possessed a splendid physique, and in his \)iime
was a remarkably fine-looking man. He died
at Forfar, 18th August, 1877.
15. Allan, James Steel: Violinist Bom
1846, probably m Forfar, he is son of No. 14.
He played a solo at his father's benefit, which
at once established his reputation as an artistic
player.
16. Allan, Robert B. : Violinist Another
son of No. 14, he is settled as a music teacher
in Glasgow.
Dollar. W. B. R. Wilson.
(To hi contimud.)
rw"
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
121
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EDINBURGH
PERIODICAL LITERATURE (V., 20, etc.)
(Continued from 2nd S., Vol. VIIL, p. 109 J
[Supplementary.]
1743* ^^^ Christian Monthly History ^ or, an
Account of the Revival and Progress of
Religion Abroad and at Home. To be published
monthly. No. i, for November. Acts xv., 3 :
"And they passed through declaring the Con-
version of the Gentiles : And they caused great
joy unto all the Brethren." "Edinburgh: Printed
by R. Fleming and A. Alison, and sold by the
Booksellers in Town and Country. MDCCXLIII."
All this appeared on the first page, and resembled
a general title for the whole periodical. 8vo,
40 + 24 pp. , printed across the page ; price for
copies on fine paper, 6d.; on coarse, 4d. each.
Arrangements were made for subscribers obtaining
copies from specified booksellers in Glasgow,
Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth, and Dumfries.
This publication missed by two years being
the first religious periodical for Scotland. It was
preceded by the Weekly History, which began to
appear in Glasgow in December, 1741, and existed
for a year. They had a similar purpose, and both
arose out of the religious revival which character-
ised 1741-3. The Monthly was edited by James
Robe, the minister at Kilsyth in whose congrega-
tion the revival had been very prominent, and who
is still remembered by his ** Narrative " of it. He
used his first forty pages as a kind of introduction,
dating it ''Kilsyth, November 15, 1743,"* in which
he gave an account of the progress of the
movement, and described the future contents of
his journal. The latter were to include revival
narratives from Scotland, England, and America,
accounts of conversion from paganism, and of
opposition encountered, as well as extracts and
letters of a religious nature. The little periodical
was accordingly intended to be both a history and
a book of devotion. To carry out this design,
Robe said it was ** evident that a very extensive
correspondence must be established," and he
appealed to ministers and others to ''send infor-
mation as free of charge as possible to me or the
printer of this paper." The second part was
occupied with narratives from New England,
Kilsyth, etc.
Six numbers altogether were sent out, and the
paper then suspended publication. They had
* It should be noted that magazines were actually issued at
the end of the week or mouth for which they were dated,
and not before tlie mouth began, as now.
not appeared regularly: "through many unforeseen
accidents it was not published monthly." Robe
had determined not to use mere padding in eking
out his pages. If matter was awanting, " in such
cases, though it be designed a monthly paper, I
will rather chuse to slip a month rather than dis-
appoint my readers." Want of material, however,
does not appear to have been the cause of the
stoppage — it was rather the high price asked for
the paper.
Publication was resumed on May i, i745t with
a number dated April, consistmg of 28 pp. , 8vo,
price 3d. for fine copies, and 2d. for coarse.
" It was at first designed to have published four sheets
monthly, but this was found to be too chargeable for
some people who inclined to be served with it."
The next three numbers were of 32 pp. each,
and no printer's name appeared on any of the
copies examined of the re-start. The intention
was to send out twelve numbers, but the last
number traced is No. 10, for 1746 — that probably
for January of that year. Gillies, in his " His-
torical Collections," refers to it. The whole issue
accordingly comprised at least sixteen numbers.
There is no reason to suppose that Robe did not
conduct the second series as well as the first.
A periodical of almost the same name was
published in London for several years, beginning
1740. It was called " The Christian History ^ or, a
General Account of the Progress of the Gospel in
England, Wales, Scotland, and America, so far as
the Rev. Mr. Whitefield, his fellow-labourers, and
assistants are concerned." Robe, however, was
under no obligation to this paper, except, perhaps,
in the matter of suggestion for his own title. He
says he had been accumulating communications
from many correspondents for some time previous
to his venturing on printing.
1757. The Edinburgh Magazine. No. i. July, 1757.
62 pp. , 8vo, 2 cols, to the page ; price 6d. monthly.
Motto : " Floriferis ut apes in saltibus omnia
libunt omnia nos." " Printed by Walter Ruddi-
man. Junior, and Company, Morocco's Close,
Lawn- Market." This imprint was in Vol. V.
modified to '* Wal. Ruddiman, Jun., W. Auld
and Company, Morocco's Close, Lawn-Market."
In the sixth (and last) volume the name reverted
to the original form.
The general scDpeof the Edinburgh Magazine
which is said to have " flourished with great eclat,"
was the same as that of the Scots Magazine, and in
the preface to the opening volume it had to justify
its appearance as against the older journal. This
it did in the following fashion : as to
'* what induced us to engage in a new magazine when
this part of the Kingdom was in possession of one
which had so long and deservedly enjoyed the public
favour. It will be allowed that the bounds of a
monthly magazine, besides what it must necessarily
contain, cannot comprehend every occasional essay,
poem, etc., which merits notice."
It declared that there was room in the capital
122
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES [February, 1907
for both. The contents were of the usual
character, and comprised a miscellaneous and an
historical section. In the second volume,
beginning January, 1758, these two parts were
separately paged, but this arrangement was soon
ended. Each year had .a supplementary part
added. The journal was also embellished with
maps, engravings, and music. A notice in Vol. V.
indicated the scope of the magazine as being ** a
general representation of the Religion, Manners,
Politics, Entertainments, etc., of Great Britain,
and in particular of Scotland." The editor,
who was Walter Ruddiman, Jun., states that
"to ffratity that appetite for novelty which la natural
to the human mind, by an agreeable variety, has been
our constant aim."
Although soon after its start the projectors were
able to speak of *' the agreeable reception ^' given
to the magazine, it came to an end after a career
of less than six years. The last number was sent
out December, 1762. It took the unusual course
of announcing the end in three columns of poetry,
headed *' Extremum hunc nobis Arethusa concede
laborem." — Virg. After declaring that,
" When lifted U) the literary field,
A pregnant prospect did our labours yield,"
the writer proceeded to make a historical survey of
the time during which the Magazine had existed,
and ended by hinting at the troubles that had
beset its course. He cong^ratulated himself that
"Thus with success we laboured to improve,
Our chief ambition was our country's love ;
Nor flattery knew, nor dipp'd in party rage,
No foul Invective stain'd the honest page.
The fault of Fabius was our only crime."
Rivals, however, came up from the south, and ,
these destroyed the chance the Magatine had,
even in the city of its birth.
" To these we stooped not, till they bore along
Our noblest friends of genius, taste, an<1 song.
Who, smit with love of novelty, withdrew, j
And Joined the standards of an alien crew. 1
'lis vain to struggle when our Friends rebell : j
When Brutus drew the poniard Caesar fell.
Yet let us fall, some little praise is due :
We brought the Laurel, bring the Olive too :
iSupremely happy if in these approved
You now vouchsafe the countenance we loved.
Happy at least ihab war and discord cease,
And we and Caledonia sleep in peace.'*
When the Ruddimans sent out their Wefkly
Magazifie in 1768, they suggested that the new ,
journal was the resurrection of the old, for they
headed its opening verses ** Resurgo." The
appearance and scope of the two magazines were
practically the same.
1757 (?) The Weekly Journal, The date usually
assigned for the commencement of this paper is
1744. I havci however, been unable to trace it
further back than 1758. The British Museum has
two numbers for that year, the first of which is
marked Vol. II., No. i. They are dated February
17 and 23. 4 pp. , 4to, 3 cols, to the page. Unfor-
tunately the binder's knife has removed any trace
of the imprint, if it existed.
A glimpse into the history of the paper is
obtained from Robert Kerr's ** Life of William
Smellie," printer and scientist. In 1765 Smellie
entered into partnership with Robert and William
Auld as printers. In 1766 Robert withdrew, and
his place was taken on December 22 by John
Balfour.
" Mr. Balfour appears to have brought along with him
into this new coiicem the newspaper or Journal which
formerly had been carried on by Messrs. Hamilton,
Balfour, and Neil, or. at least, this new company
certainly did publish a newspaper. " (I., 319.)
The journal referred to was the Weekly
youmal. The partnership went on smoothly till
the end of 1769, but about that time disputes
began between Smellie and Auld. There were
several causes of difference, but one of the most
acute was concerning the youmal. Smellie
considered the newspaper a losing concern, and
desired its discontinuance, while Auld ** per-
tinaciously insisted that it should be continued.'*
The result was that the latter withdrew from the
copartnery m 1771.
How long the youmal lived it is impossible to
say. William Auld continued as a printer on his
own account, and probably made arrangments for
carrying it on. Grant, in his ** Old and New
Edinburgh," quotes an advertisement from it of
date 1775. But it could not have long survived
that year. It is probable that it did not exist in
1780, and it had certainly disappeared by 1792.
The Weekly youmal with which the names of
Ballantyne and Scott are associated had no
connection with it.
1764. The Citizen. No. i. Edinburgh: printed in
the year MDCCLXIV. 16 pp., square 8vo. price
twopence.
The first page had the above as a kind of title.
The text occupied pp. 3-16, p. 2 being blank.
The whole is devoted to the discussion of the
wicked ways of the Town Council in the matter
of how it exercised its ecclesiastical patronage.
" The conduct of the Town Council of thin city, in re-
suming the right of patronage to the prejudice of us,
the citizens, has of late afforded ample matter of con-
versation and debate. This act of the Council, equally
unpopular in manner and substance, deprives us, the
present citizens, of privileges enjoyed by our anoestors
for these hundred years."
The Citizen is not a periodical in the ordinary
sense. It appears here because ' it has been
catalogued as such in the Bodleian Library. It
is more of the nature of a fugitive pamphlet
26 Circus Drive,
Glasgow.
W. J. COUPBK
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
t23
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ABERDEEN
PERIODICALS.
(Continued from 2nd S., VI 11., p. 00,)
1903. The Normal Standard (and S., V,, 52).
This college magazine was short lived. It ran
monthly to No. 6, December, 1903 ; No. 7 was
dated March, 1904 ; and the final issue, No. 8, ap-
peared June, 1904. The first three numbers con-
sisted of 20 pp. ; Nos. 4-7, 16 pp. ; and the last, 18 pp.
Reviewing the contents of the above issues as a
whole, they display considerable talent on the part
of their respective contributors, several articles hav-
ing been produced by persons of literary ability.
Each number was prefaced by an editorial reviewing
the progress of the scholastic profession, making
comments on the various departments connected
with the college, and treating of other themes of
general interest to subscribers. In addition to the
permanent columns such as all college magazines
possess, the contents comprised several articles brim-
ful of interesting matter on current and other topics.
Besides this, the issues embodied a fairly large pro-
portion of verse, of which mention must be made of
at least one piece, which was written in a delight-
fully humorous strain. It bore the title of "Ye
College Tales," and was the work of *'A Josser."
Miss Jessie Annie Anderson, the poetess, was also
numbered amongst those who wrote poetry for its
columns.
The stoppage of the magazine, which, by the
way, makes no mention of the fact in its last issue,
was said to be entirely due to the constant change
of the students who came for instruction within the
college walls, some of whom took little or no per-
manent interest in the welfare of the magazine.
which represented their interest in many ways.
1905. The Bon- Accord Buyer* s Guide: Aberdeen's
Monthly Magazine, No. i, November, 1905, with
arms of the city of Aberdeen on its cover. Size,
demy 8vo, double-columned. Each issue consists
of from 20 to 28 pages, with covers additional, and
is distributed gratis to the community. The first
issue was printed at the Rosemount Press, Aber-
deen ; and the later issues *' Published by the Pro-
prietor, David Balloch, Advertising Agent, 46 Justice
Street (now 154 Union Street), Aberdeen,*' and now
** Printed at the Central Press (John Milne), Belmont
Street, Aberdeen."
In addition to the advertisements which are freely
scattered throughout its pages, the contents are
usually as follows: — Brief articles pertaining to
household, medical, and theatrical affairs, humorous
paragraphs, and sporting gossip in general, all
specially written by an able staff of contributors.
This advertising monthly enjoys an extensive circu-
lation. Nearly all the leading business establish-
ments in Aberdeen are found utilizing its columns.
It is conducted by Mr. David Balloch, who is also
compiler and editor of **The 'O.K.' Street Guide of
Aberdeen," an indispensable annual (id.), which
started in 1906, of which 10,000 have been printed
and circulated. During the royal visit to Aberdeen
in September, 1906, a "Royal Number" of the
Bon- Accord Buyers' Guide at a penny, containing
the official programme, was issued, 28 pp., 4to,
double-columned, and covers additional, and beauti-
fully illustrated.
1906. The Aberdeen Taller: Sporting, Dramatic,
Musical, Topical. No. i, Saturday evening* toth
February, 1906. Size, demy 4to, 4 pp., treble-col-
umned, price one halfpenny. Although the fourth
page bears the imprint " Printed and Published by
[Patrick Arthur] Markey and [A E.] Green, 3 Rose-
mount Viaduct, Aberdeen," it appears that pages 1-3
of the first and only issue of this weekly were printed
at the Rosemount Press, Farmers' Hall Lane, Aber-
deen, the fourth being produced at their own premises,
where C[harles] Diamond also publishes and prints
The Aberdeen Catholic Herald,
Mr. William Mackintosh ('• Gallic," late of Bo/i-
Accord, now of The North Magazine), the well-,
known dramatic critic, was its editor. His article
entitled "At the Play'' included messages of good-
will received by him from Messrs. Herbert Beer-
bohm Tree and Martin Harvey, both of theatrical
fame. But the venture proved unsuccessful from
the first, the reason being that the football com-
munity, whom this weekly was specially intended
to reach, were being better catered for by the
Dundee press, with a larger supply of news de-
voted to the national sport of Scotland, hence there
was no reason for the Tatler*s appearance upon
the scene, and a change of organ was deemed un-
necessary.
The enterprising publishers intended to hold the
first three pages in readiness for the scores an-
nounced every alternate Saturday evening during
the football season, and directly these became known
the information was to be set up for the fourth im-
mediately, and the paper printed off, thus enabling
them to impart the information to football enthusiasts
long before other sporting papers arrived in the city.
A number of advertisements appeared on pages
2-4. I learn there were 2,000 printed of the first
issue, and that the paper's title, which is really a
good one, and telegraphic cypher have been duly
registered in case it should reappear at some future
date.
1906. Gordon's College Former Pupils' Associa-
tion, An annual, distributed gratis. Size, 4to,
7x9, 22 pp. , including a beautiful coloured plate of
the college arms. Imprint on last page: " W. & W.
Lindsay, Printers, Market Street, Aberdeen."
A prefatory note in the inaugural issue informs
pupils that ** This booklet makes no pretensions to
the name and distinction of magazine. Its primary
purpose is to preserve a record of the membership
124
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES [February, 1907
of the Former Pupils' Association, and, meantime
at least, it is not proposed that it should be issued
more frequently than once a year. Articles of a
literary character will occasionally appear, written
by members only, together with notes on matters of
general interest, but the feature of real interest will
be the list of names of members. The publication
of such a pamphlet has frequently been discussed at
annual meetings, but for some reasori or other has
been postponed. It is expected that members will
be prepared to welcome the first number, that they
will be prepared to overlook shortcomings that a
more critical and less indulgent public might feign
to discover ; in any case, they will remember that
there is no regular or editorial staff to accept respon-
sibilities or make atonement"
An article on " Gordons Abroad," by J. H. Harvey
Pirie, B.Sc, M.B., Ch.B. ; Lord Provost (now Sir
Alexander) Lyon's address delivered on Gordon's
College prize day, June 28, 1906 (accompanied by
portrait) ; a poem addressed ''To Gordon's College,"
by Gildart J. Walker, grandson of the Very Rev.
Dean William Walker, LL.D., the historian; rules
and constitution of the Association ; and list of 1
office-bearers and members of the Association — all
alumni of the College — are the subject matter of the
first issue. To those who are not acquainted with
the history of Gordon's College, it may be added
that the historians of this great educational establish-
ment have been the late Mr. Alexander Walker,
LL.D., F.S.A.Scot., and Mr. Robert Anderson, the
present editor of the A herdeen younial.
GORDONS OF .AUCHINREATH.
('2nd S., /K, 155; K., U, 63; VL, 61,)
Aberdeen.
Robert Murdoch.
Principal Rainy's Genealogy. — A writer
in The Scottish Revie^v supplies some interesting
particulars about the Highland ancestry of the
late Principal Rainy. Dr. Rainy's grandfather,
Rev. George Rainy of Creich, was married to
Anne Robertson, daughter of Rev. George
Robertson, Kincardine, Ross-shire, and a great-
grandson of Robertson of Kindeace. (Mr.
Gladstone's mother, daughter of Provost Robert-
son, Dingwall, was a great-granddaughter of the
same Robertson of Kindeace.) Dr. Rainy's
mother, on the other hand, was a daughter of
Captain Robert Gordon, who married Christina
Munro, daughter of Hugh Munro, the son of
William Munro of Achany, Sutherlandshire.
This Hugh Munro, Dr. Rainy's great-grand-
father, married a daughter of George Munro of
Culcearn, Ross-shire, who was the second son
of Sir Robert Munro, twenty-fifth Baron of
Foulis. The Principal was also the first cousin
to the late Rev. Dr. Robert Gordon Balfour, and
another cousin was Mr. C. S. Parker, formerly
M.P. for Perth. — Evening Express, Jan. 12, 1907.
The following letter may help to indicate the
family to which John Gordon, "Commissary
Depute and Sheriff Clerk for the Bishopric and
Shire of Moray" (who is stated to have died at
Elgin on 12th July, 1777), belonged : —
DrSir
I understand M^* Grant, Lord Elchies's Sone
is named Sherriff for Murray and Nairn, Who
Surely will have the nameing of his own Clerk, at
Least None will be offered him heM object to.
Your Accquaintance John Gordon in Craighiehead
would be very ffitt for the Employment, and very
Serviceable and obliging to the Judge ; in many
things he would make him easie, being Experiencd
not only in the formes of that Court, but allso
versant and well accquainted in Countrie affairs
Such as mostly ocurr there. If it was not going
too farr, I would Earnestly Solicite your interest
with Lord Elchies in his behal£ He will be
Extreamly gratefull him Self, and I shall State
upon it as ane obligation of my own, which if Ever
in my power Shall be gratefully repay ed. I hope
youl pardon my freedom And Allow me to Continue
D'Sir
Your most Ob* humble Sev*
John Gordon
Foch» I"* Aprile 1748
Endorsed :-
To
Rot. Grant Esq^ of Tammorr
Also, in Tammore's writing : —
Mr Jo Gordon's Letter Aprill 1748 Desiring to
Recomend Auchinreith to be Shereff Clerk.
It may be assumed that Tammore did not fail
to respond to the appeal of the writer of the
letter (who was the Duke of Gordon's factor),
and that Lord Elchies, on being satisfied as to
Mr. Gordon's fitness for the appointment, was
but too glad to grant anything m the way of a
favour to Tammore, tried and trusted manager
of his estate of Easter Elchies, which his lord-
ship was able to visit but seldom, and but for
brief periods. H. D. McW.
Henry Farquharson.— This Scot, who did
much for the instruction of the Russian Navy,
and who has been dealt with in our December
and January issues, is the subject of a very
interesting article (by a Russian) in The Sphere
of December 29th, 1906.
Vol. VI II. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
125
ABERDEEN BIBLIOGRAPHY.
THE SCOT AND HIS REGIMENTS.
Addenda to "Aberdeen Printers."
(2nd S., VII., 200, /.??, 1G7.)
Through the kindness of the Principal of the
Theological College of the Scottish Episcopal
Church, Edinburgh, I had recently an oppor-
tunity of examining a small volume of tracts
preserved in the library of the college. This I
found to contain two Aberdeen printed "Theses,"
which are not described in the late Mr. Edmond's
"Aberdeen Printers," or in my own " Biblio-
graphy of the Universities of Aberdeen." 1
append a note of these :—
171 1. Peacock, George. THESES PHILOSO-
PHICJE, I Quas, A. P. D. O. M. ingenui ali-
quot Adolescentes | Laureze Magisterialis candi-
DATi. I In celeberrimo Colhgio marischallano,
I Universitatis CAROLINJE abredenensis | ad
diem 19 Aprilis^ \ Publice propugnabunt, horis &
loco solitis. I Praeside georgio peacock | [Arms
of Marischal Coll., and quotation] I - I abredeis
Excudebant Successores jOANNis forbesii | urbis
& Universitatis Typographi, Amio 171 1.
63 In. (badly clippwl). I ]K Pp. 8. Title within
borden; veno, Dedication to Williani, Lord Haddo,
signed by^elghteen candidates (bnt several names have
been cut 'off: Fasttiy il. 287); pp. 3-8, Theses in small
pica roraan.
1722. Hardie, Patrick, ampmssimo ac ornatis-
siMO I domino I D. GULIELMO FORBES I de Craigie-
var &c. Equiti Baronctto \ Almse hujus Acade-
mic Rectori | Magnifico, Dignissimo, non mi- |
nus propriis Virtutibus quam ge- { nerosa prosapift
Illustri. I Theses hasce Philosophicas in Deditissimi
aflfectus & I perpetuae observantia; tesseram, D. D,
C, Q. PATRICIUS HARDIB PfSBses | Et hi CANDI-
DAT I Laurea Magisteriali Condecorandi. \ [Thirty-
six names, fourteen in italics: Fastis ii., 298] |
Qui A. D. O. M. Theses hasce cum Annexis publice
propugnabunt, in \ Collegio Novo Universitatis
Carolina^ abredonensis, ad 11 \ Diem Aprilis,
1722. H. L. Q. S.
{Colophon^ abredeis, Excudebat jacobus
NicoL, URBIS & I Universitatis Typographus,
An. Dom. 1722,
6} In. GMMily clipped). [ ]■». Pp. 8- Title (or Dedica-
tion), top and bottom borders : pp. 2-8, Theses in small
pica roman, Annexa (Italics) and Colophon on p. 8.
Patrick Hardie was regent from 1717 till his death
in 1724.
P. J. Anderson.
Cant Family. — A list of births and deaths
in the Cant family, of Manningtree, Essex,
appears in F. A. Crisp's "Fragmenta Genea-
logica," X., 13.
There seems to be a general consensus of
opinion that we are witnessing a developement of
national pride in Scotland, which has hitherto
been exhibited mainly by the Rev. David
Macrae and Mr. Theodore Napier. Perhaps it
has something to do with the bicentenary of
the Union ; but it is undoubtedly increasing
(despite the curious sneers of some Scots daily
newspapers) ; and the agitation on the Scots
Greys is only one expression of it. As a matter
of fact, the Scot has long been touchy on the
military side of the question. This was strikingly
shown at the historic meeting in the great hall at
Stafford House on February 17, 1 881, to protest
against Mr. Childers' proposal about the tartan.
His idea was to link the 71st with the 73rd, the
72nd with the 78th, and the 42nd and the 79th
in a uniform tartan. The proposal resulted in a
strong petition to the Queen, influentially signed.
It urged that
the tartan dress, hitherto worn by the various
Highland regiments as distinctive of the districts
in which they were raised, and in which dress they
have fought with honour and glory in every part
of the globe, be not changed, believing that such
distinctive tartans add to the esprit de corps, and
that such changes as are contemplated are contrary
to the instinct of the true Highlander.
The petition was backed by the meeting in
Stafford House, when speeches were deliverd by
the Duke of Sutherland, the Duke of Athole,
the Earl of Wemyss (then Lord Elcho), Sir
Donald Currie, and Lord Archibald Campbell.
The enthusiasm was kept agog by eight pipers
playing the pibroch, their pipes blazoned with
the armorial bearings of their lords. A fiery
cross was afterwards brought into the hall, and
passed from hand to hand. The most dramatic
incident, however, occured when Lord Archibald,
who wore the kilt (you will find a picture of the
scene in T/te Illustrated London News of
February 26, 1881), declared that he should take
care that the Queen and Mr. Childers knew that
they were in earnest. **And now,'^ he said,
unsheathing his dirk, which he kissed,"according
to the good old Highland fashion, I swear to
preserve the tartan on my dirk." The effect on
the audience was electric. The weapon was
handed round, and kissed by The Macintosh,
who occupied the chair, and by all the important
gentlemen present. Some of them indeed shed
tears, and then burst into a shout of intense
enthusiasm.
The old objection that tartans were modern
was repudiated by Lord Archibald, who gave a
126
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[February, 1907
most interesting account of the method of 1
producing many of the colours, in which he
repudiated the idea that all tartans were the '
inventions of modern spinners : ,
The Highlanders of old did not wander to foreign 1
lands, or borrow from foreign looms : their eyes ;
were accustomed to seek the dyes that lay at the ,
door. They took the blue hyacinth for the purple of
their tartan. They took the blaeberry also for the
same purpose. They used the alder bark for black,
the willow for flesh tints. They sought their
lovely crimsons and gorgeous yellows from the
moss on the great grey rocks, called crotal, also
another variety called crotal dubh, or black crotal.
They used the plant called rue, which grows low
in the sands, bmding the same and preventing it
from drifting in our Western isles, in such
quantities for their reds that at last the plucking
of this herb was forbidden, for it loosened the
sands and spoiled the crops. General Stewart says
he saw tartans 200 years old which still re-
tained much of their original brightness. The cup
moss^a crotal moss — was gathered in 1808 to the
value of £500 in the Aberdeen district alone.
With bullocks* blood and lime Highlanders could
also dye tartan.
Queries.
807. Inolis Family. — What is known of this
family, who lived at Fairlev, Countesswells .'
J. M. B.
808. A Mackie Marriage. — Arthur Trevelyan,
born July 19, 1802, married at Aberdeen, May g,
1835, Elizabeth Mackie, and died February 6, 1878.
(Crisp's "Fragmenta Genealogica," V., 4.) Who
was Elizabeth Mackie?
809. Captain George Gordon, R.N., of
Greenhaugh. — What is known of this officer ? He
was a son of James Gordon of Little Folia.
J. M. B.
810. Sir Cosmo Gordon.— In 1824 Knight and
Lacey published a pamphlet (80 pp. ) entitled, '* Life
and Genius of Lord Byron, by Sir Cosmo Gordon."
Who was Sir Cosmo ? J. M. B.
8IZ. LoNGMORE Family. — Barbara Gordon,
daughter of James Gordon of Little Folia by his
second marriage, married James Longmore. Had
they any issue ? J. M. B.
8X2. Adam Gordon, Navy Surgeon. — He
seems to be the Adam (son of James, of Little Folia)
who was at Marischal College in 1834. What is
known of him ? J. M. B.
8x3. Gordon- Anderson Marriage. — Jane Gor-
don, daughter of James Gordon of Little Folia (who
died 1823), married "a Mr. Anderson, R.N." Any
information about their descendants (if any), his
family, and Christian name ?
J. M. Bulloch.
8x4. Tinder Boxes in Church. — The Evening
Express of 12th January this year states:— "The
death has occurred at Headley, in Hampshire, of
Mr. William Suter, a nonagenarian. The old gentle-
man has a very vivid memory, and amongst other
things used to relate how, when he was a boy, it
was the custom for an old woman to stand at the
church door while the congregation was assembling
for evening service, and supply to the worshippers
as they passed a box containing tinder, flint, and
rushlights, to enable them to follow the service/*
Were tinder boxes ever used in Scottish churches ?
Robert Murdoch.
8x5. Jardine, Rannie, Dundas.— In his auto-
biography (Grampian Club, i860) Dr. Alexander
Carlyle mentions the sudden death, in June, 1766,
of Dr. John Jardine, minister of the Tron Church.
He says that he and a party had been engaged to
dine with Mr. Henry Dundas the same evening, but
that it was put ofl", as ** Dr. Jardine was a near rela-
tion of his lady,'*' meaning Mrs. Henry Dundas. In
what way were they related ? Mrs. Dundas was
Elizabeth, daughter of Captain David Rannie of
Melville Castle, and Elizabeth Bayley. Were the
Jardines and the Bay leys connected, and who were
the parents of Elizabeth Bayley ?
92 Eaton Terrace, H. A. Cockburn.
London, S.W.
8x6. Alexander Gordon of Carnousie. — Could
any of your correspondents inform me from what
branch of the Gordon family Alexander Gordon of
Carnousie was descended, who was the first Gordon
named in the exceptions from the Act of Indemnity,
1747 ? Loudon Hill.
8x7. James Watson's "History of Printing,"
Edinburgh, 1713.— What was Mr. J. P. Edmond's
authority for saying that the preface to this book
was " written by Mr. John Spotswood, advocate and
Professor of Law," as he does in Chapter I. of
*' Annals of Scottish Printing"? The preface is
signed "James Watson," and is written throughout
in the first personal singular, the pronouns always
referring to Watson. In its course, note is made
that Spotswood had set up as a bookseller.
Calder Ross.
8x8. Caddell, alias MacPherson (2nd S., V.,
123, 158). — A curious variation of Macfarlane's des-
cription of the wife of Alexander I^slie, first laird
of Kininvie, occurs in Burke's '* Landed Gentry of
Great Britain" (1906), where she is described as
" Margaret Calder of Napherson." Is this a mis-
take for ** Calder or Macpherson " ? If not, where is
Napherson ? H. D. McW.
Vol. vrri. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
127
8x9. Duff Family. — In a pedigree of a Mack-
intosh family, dated 1771, I find the marriage of a
Katherine Duff, ** daughter of John Duff of Bean-
machloch [or Beanmakeloch], sister of James Duff
of Corsindae, and grand-daughter [neptis] of the
laird of Keithmore, who was grandfather of William
Duff, l^rd Braco, and Earl of Fife." But was not
James Duff, first of Corsindie, descended from a
younger brother of Alexander of Keithmore? If
so, his sister Katherine would be grand-niVr^, not
grand-daughter, of Keithmore. Her mother's name
is given as Isabella Pringle. Where is Beanmach-
loch or Beanmakeloch, and what is the correct
spelling? A. M. M.
answers.
466. "Blackwood's Magazine" (2nd S., VI.,
45* 63)* — I'wo years ago the question was asked
why George Buchanan's portrait was chosen to
adorn the front cover of Blackwood. The following
is firom the number for July, 1906, which contains a
centenary article on the scholar by Charles Whibley.
The figure ** has been variously mistaken for Chris-
topher North, Dr. Maginn, and *Uhe Ettrick Shep-
herd." While some have declared him the author of
the *Book of the Farm,' others are confident that he
is the founder of the house [of Blackwood]. And it
will come as a disappointment to many that he is
none other than George Buchanan, who was once
universally believed to be the greatest man of letters
ever born in Scotland, and who, even though he has
outlived his glory, deserves all the respect that can
be shown him on this, the four hundredth anniver-
sary of his birth." From which it is apparent that
Blackwood itself had no special reason.
Evan Odd.
780. The Name McKelvie (and^., VIII., 62,
80). — I suggest that this name may be a form of
Mcllvain. The Mcllvains are included in Mr. Frank
Adam's ** What is my Tartan ? " among the septs of
the Clan MacBean or MacVean, and Mr. Adam
gives MacGeachie and MacGeachin as forms of
MacEachan. The MacBeans were an important
tribe of Clan Chattan. The handsome tartan of the
MacBeans is reproduced in most books on clan
tartans. In the late Mr. Charles Eraser- Mackintosh's
**• Minor Septs of Clan Chattan " (in which the
MacBeans are fully dealt with), is the following : —
"According to the Rev. Lachlan Shaw, the first
MacBean came out of Lochaber, in the suit of Eva,
heiress of Clan Chattan, and settled near Inverness.
The MS. history of the Mackintoshes says in cor-
roboration that Bean vie Coil Mor (of whom the
Clan Vean had their denomination) lived in Loch-
aber, and was a faithful servant to Mackintosh
against the Red Comyn, who possessed Inverlochie,
who was a professed enemy of Mackintosh."
Whether the prefixed " II " of Mcllvain and " El " of
*• McKelvie" (or '* McElvie") has reference to "Coil
Mor " or to Gillies (a rather favourite name with the
MacBeans), I cannot say. The first MacBean of
Tomatin was Bean MacBean, styled " Bean Mac-
Coil vie Gillie Phadrick." At the battle of Culloden.
when the Argyle militia broke down a wall which
enabled them to attack the Highlanders in fiank,
Major Gillies MacBean, who stood 6 feet 4^ inches
in height, stationed himself at the gap, and as the
assailants passed through, cut down with his broad-
sword no fewer than thirteen, including Lord Robert
Ker, and only fell when attacked by the enemy in
numbers. In Logan's *' Clans of the Scottish High-
lands" are quoted some seven verses on this incident,
which appeared in a Northern periodical, and which
' are said to have been one of BjTon's early effusions.
I select two verses: —
The cloudt may pour down on Culloden's red plain,
But .their waters ahalUflow o'er its crimson In vain ;
For their drop* shall seem few to the tears for the slain.
Bat mine are for thee, my brave Gillies MacBain !
With thy back to the wall and thy breast to the taiye,
Full flashed thy claymore in the face of their charge ;
The blood of their boldest that barren turf stain,
But alas ! thine is reddest there, Oillies MacBain !
It would be interesting to learn in what district the
name of McKelvie prevailed or prevails, and also
what variations in the spelling of the name are to be
met with in the local records.
H. D. McW.
803. Dr. George Bethune (2Pd S., VIII., no).
— Rev. George Washington Bethune, D.D., author
of '*The Auld Scotch Sangs," was bom of Scotch
parentage at New York in March, 1805. I regret I
have been unable to get the exact day, or to find
any information regarding his early life. He gradu-
ated at Dickenson College, Carlisle, Penn., and then
entered the Dutch Reformed Church. He was
stationed at different times at Rhinbeck, Utica,
Philadelphia (where many of his works were pub-
lished), and ultimately settled in Brooklyn, where
he was residing in 1858. Dr. Bethune is well known
as the editor of an edition of Walton's *' Compleat
Angler," which has been highly praised. It has an
exceedingly valuable bibliographical preface, etc.
The author of the notice on Dr. Bethune in Alli-
bone's "Dictionary of English Literature" writes
that Dr. Bethune said to him regarding this book,
" I lost no time by it, for it was the occupation of
moments while others would have been looking out
at the windows." This edition of Walton is also
mentioned in Stedman's "American Anthology."
Dr. Bethune is also the author of a volume of short
poems entitled, " Lays of Love and Faith, and other
Poems." The New York Literary World describes
those poems as " particularly melodious and tender,
and there is a relish of mingled scholarship and fun
in some of the epigrams, most rare in those days."
In 1840 Dr. Bethune pubhshed "The Prospect of
Art in the United States," which was an address
delivered before the Artists' Fund Society of Phila-
delphia in May of that year. " The Duties of Edu«
128
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES [February, 1907
cated Men," an oration delivered before the literary
societies of Dickenson College in July, 1843, was
published the same year (1H43). In 1845 he pub-
lished *'A Plea for Study," an oration before the
literary society of Yale College on igth August,
1845. During the next ten years he delivered many
lectures, a few of which have been published. On
account of ill-health, he resigned his position at
Brooklyn in 1859, and went to Italy. In the follow-
ing year he returned to New York City, but his
health again broke down, and he returned to Italy
in 1861. He died at Florence on 27th April, 1862.
He was author and editor of a large number of
volumes, a few of which will be found under his
name in the British Museum catalogue.
J. B. T.
Dr. Bethune died at Florence on Sunday evening,
27th April, 1862, after preaching in the forenoon in
the Free Church of Scotland there. His body was em-
balmed and taken to America, where it was interred
in the family vault at Greenwood Cemetery, New
York. A very full and interesting memoir oi him
was written by his friend, Dr. A. R. Van Nest, and
published in New York in 1867. If your enquirer,
Mr. Harvey, will send me his address, I shall be
happy to lend him the volume.
Dollar. Robert Paul.
Xftetature.
Messrs. Hodder & Stoughton have published
a beautiful addition to the bibliography of a
fascinating subject. The book is entitled *' Mary,
Queen of Scots : with Pictures in Colour by
James Orrock, R.I., and Sir Janjes Linton, R.I.
The Story by Walter Wood. Edited by W.
Shaw Sparrow." 4to, 10x7 ins.; 133 pp.; price
15s.net; published 1907.
The editor's preface tells us that the object of
the book is to show the Queen in her artistic
and personal aspect : to quote himself, " the
text, unencumbered with fruitless doubts and
entangled disputes, is written to be read and
remembered."
The story itself is lucidly and vividly written :
many small details are so told as to dwell in
one's memory. Mary's want of knowledge of
the English language is noted with a quotation
of her own pretty acknowledgment of the fact.
But the history, especially the description of the
Carberry Hill disaster, reads more like fiction.
Of the illustrations one can say that each is a
work of art, and such a book could not have
been produced less than a dozen years ago.
During the past half century the arts have
shown great advance, but none of them so much,
perhaps, as that of the graphic arts. Books
which now possess illustrations of the most
perfect kind — more, indeed, like the rich missals
of the Middle Ages executed by the hand of
monks and nuns of that period — are reproduced,
like this notable example, deliciously perfect
and marvellously cheap. The process of re-
production is known as the three-colour process.
The type and binding are equally artistic, and
the book is one to be recommended to all lovers
of historical subjects and fine pictorial represen-
tations. A word of praise must be given to the
title page, designed by Jennie Wylie.
Scots JBoofts of tbe /ftontb.
Darroch, Alexander, M.A. The Place and
Function of the Scottish Universities in our Edu-
cational System. 8vo. Net, 6d. Blackwood.
8vo. Net,
Everett.
Davies, C. J. The Scottish Terrier.
3s. 6d.
Dobell, Bertram. Catalogue of Books Printed
for Private Circulation. (Contains Notes on
several Scottish Rarities.) 8vo. Net, 4s. 6d.
London : Published by the Author,
77 Charing Cross Road, W.C.
Ford, Robert. The Heroines of Burns, and their
Celebrating Songs. 410. Net, 5s.
Paisley : Alex. Gardner.
Fyfe, W. T. Edinburgh under Sir Walter Scott.
8vo. I OS. 6d. Constable.
Qlbson, W. Milne. The Old Scottish Precentor :
Historical, Biogra;.hical, Anecdotal, and Reminis-
cent. Illustrated. 8vo. Net, 2s. 6d.
^ Aberdeen Daily jfournal Office.
Poems of A. Macgregor Rose (Gordon). Collected
and Edited, with a Life of the Author, by Robert
Dey, M.A. 8vo. Net, 3s.
Manchester : John Heywood, Ltd.
Sinclair, William. Scottish Life and Humour.
8vo. Net, IS. and 2s.
Haddington : Sinclair & Co.
Smith, D. Crawford, F.S.A.Scot. The His-
torians of Perth. 13 Illustrations. 4to. Net,
7s. 6d. Perth : John Christie.
NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.
All communications should be accompanied by an
identifying name and address. As publication day
is the 25th of each month, copy should be in a few
days earlier. Ed.
Printed and Published at The Roseraount Presa, Aberdeen.
Literary communications should be addreraed to the JSditoTy
23 Osborne Place, Aberdeen; Advertisements and Business
Letters to the Publishers, Farmer's Hall Lane, Aberdeen.
SCOTTISH
NOTES AND QUERIES.
VOL. vin. 1 Vn n
2nd 8BRIBS. J ^^ ^' 9-
March, 1907.
JtEGISTERRD
{
Price 3d.
Per Post 4d.
CONTENTS.
NOTRS :— Page
•* Sawney Beane" 129
The Birthplace of George Ridpath 132
Lawrance and Lawrence Families in AberdeenBhire,
1696 134
Notable Men and Women of Forfarshire 137
MiROR Notes:—
James Clyde, LL.D.— A Buchan Farm BJiyme 131
Glencoe Massacre Relic 133
Scott and Vrquhart Families — Madeline Smith —
Butler's " liObster '* Simile— Geological Note 136
Cteneral Hugh Mercer 140
QumiES:—
"Scoto-Brittannicus"— " Rose Douglas" 140
Drumqnhassill — Cardno Family — Lunan Families-
Anderson Families in Aberdeenshire-^ames Wat-
son, Printer, Ed Inboigh— Andrew Bisset— Musical
Terms: "Treble," '•Bimull-Clieff" 141
PtAtrick Grant. Lord Elchies — Dr. Peter Grant —
Joseph Gordon 142
Answers:—
Blackwood's Magazine — Barclay of U17 *- Adam
Donald — Moses Provan 142
McKelvie, Mcllrain — " Hail, Smiling Mom " — A
Mackie Marriage— Alexander Gordon of Camousie 143
James Watson's " Hlstoiy of Printing," Edinbuigh,
1713-Duff Family 144
litbratube 144
Scots Books of the Month 144
ABERDEEN, MARCH, 1907.
"SAWNEY BEANE."
(2nd S., Vlll., 101.)
It is not my intention to follow '^ Alba'' along
the bypaths of belligerent patriotism into which
his pursuit of Sawney Beane has seduced him.
Suffer me only to say in passing how much I re>
gret some of the expressions he has permitted
himself to use in speaking of names so deservedly
honoured in the literary world as those of Mr.
S. R. Crockett and Mr. Andrew Laing, not to
mention others less closely connected with
Scotland by birth. My purpose in writing is
rather to dispute the assertion, which forms the
pi^ce de resistance of his interesting contribution
to the January number of Scottish Notes and
Queries, to the effect that the story of Sawney
Beane is purely an English fabrication. In
making this assertion " Alba " is something less
than just to the genius (or, shall we say, the
depravity.'*) of his own countrymen. At all
events, the story of Sawney Beane, as issued
from the press of Milner and Sowerby, was
borrowed or lifted—" convey, the wise it call " —
from " Historical and Traditional Tales of the
South of Scotland," published, and to a
considerable extent written by, John Nicholson
of Kirkcudbright. I agree with "Alba" as
regards the "Grub Strieet flavour" of the
English compilation. The moral reflections so
dear to the average Scottish heart, occurring in
Nicholson's narrative, are ruthlessljr suppressed
by the English penman ; while the culinary details
of the story, understood to be more congenial to
the soul of the typical Englishman, are carefully
and conscientiously transcribed. In other
respects, however, Milner and Sowersb/s
publication is merely an abbreviation of the
Scottish version.
The story of Sawney Beane— one of the most
repulsive, incredible, and impossible stories
that was probably ever penned — is not to be
lightly dismissed as a fabrication. It is
mentioned, I believe, in Hector Boece's "History
of the Scots." Not having the "History" at hand,
I am unable to give the exact reference, but I
understand that it occurs somewhere near the
close of the book. Nicholson gives no author-
ity for his narrative, but affirms it to be a
tradition thoroughly well attested by historical
evidence. "There's no smoke without some fire"
— as the proverb hath it. The gruesome tale
undoubtedly rests on a basis of fact, which in
course of time became overlaid (as such tales
are apt to be) with a mass of fictitious details
and horrific embellishments. What John
Nicholson did was simply to take the tradition
at its high-water mark, with all its imaginative
adornments, blending indiscriminately fact and
fiction, and presenting a photograph (so to call
it) of the whole for the benefit of succeeding
generations. "Alba" does not need to be
I30
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[March, 1907
reminded what a boundless capacity there is in
tradition to expand and accumulate materials
as years roll on. An illustration of this occurs
within my own recollection. In my boyhood's
days, forty years after the crimes had been
committed, the country was still shuddering
over the frightful atrocities perpetrated by
Burke and Hare in Edinburgh. Rumour
literally ran riot over the matter. The victims
who perished, according to popular report,
were to be numbered not by scores but by
hundreds ; while the mysterious and awful word
"burking," heard in whispers on the lips of
their elders, made children afraid to venture
out of doors at night, or even to go to sleep in
the dark. In common with most people, I, a
credulous youngster at the time, with a taste for
"bluggy" stories, was profoundly convinced of
the truth of the appalling details. When, how-
ever, at a later date, I read the true version of
the tragedies, it came upon one with a distinct
sense of disappointment to learn that only
sixteen victims (I think) had been done to death,
instead of the hundreds asserted by popular
tradition. Somehow it seemed as if the murder-
ous ruffians had fallen immeasurably short of
the giddy grandeur to which the voice ot Rumour
had raised them. John Nicholson, however,
made no mistake of this kind. He seized the
tradition full blown, and, apparently, current in
his day, and wrote it down with all its ghastly
accretions, gross exaggerations, and unspeak-
able infamy, with the result that credulous
people like the English of "Alba's" acquaintencc,
finding the story in print, accepted its statements
as they would the statements of the Bible,
thereby moving " Alba " to wrath and gnashing
of teeth.
The facts of the case, I imagine, were some-
thing like these. During a peculiarly lawless
and unsettled period in Scottish history, when
every man did pretty much what was right in
his own eyes, a worthless scoundrel, by name
Sawney Beane, or Bane, with his equally
worthless wife, betook himself from East
Lothian to the wilds of Galloway. Using a
license quite permissible to writers of historical
fiction, Mr. S. R. Crockett has chosen to post-
date Sawney Beane by nearly 200 years. It was
during the reign of James I. of Scotland (not
James VI. of Scotland and I. of England) that
the miscreant lived. I speak on the authority of
Nicholson. In Galloway, husband and wife,
with their infamous family, took up their abode
by the sea-shore, in a cave, concerning which
tradition has some marvellous tales to tell.
There they led a degraded, savage, brutalized,
mode of existence, subsisting by plunder,
maintaining themselves by sheep-stealing and
cattle-lifting, and occasionally murdering those
who resisted their depredations. Their nefa-
rious career continued over a period of several
years, until, in the end, the king in person,
returned from his long captivity in England, put
a summary stop to their brutal crimes. Whether
they were cannibals or not is somewhat difficult
to determine. Nicholson's narrative strongly
asserts that this was the case, but speaks, at the
same time, of mutilated bodies of victims being
flung into the sea, which does not quite accord
with the cannibalistic theory. The supposed
relics of humanity discovered in the loathly den
where the miscreants were finally captured
were, in all probability, nothing more than the
bones of animals, and unsightly half-consumed
fragments of slaughtered sheep and cattle. The
anatomy of the human body was not so well
understood in those days as it is at present.
At the same time it must be borne in mind
that cannibalism has more than once been
attributed to the people of Scotland. In the
early centuries of the Christian era, St. Jerome
testified from personal knowledge that the Scots
were addicted to man-eating. Fortunately,
however, for " Alba's " perturbed feelings, " the
Scots," at the date referred to by the saint,
meant "people from Ireland," not the " natives
of Scotland." Then we have the account of the
sanguinary Sawney Beane and his infamous
brood — reputed cannibals all of them ; and
again, in the reign of James II. of Scotland,
there is the story of the " Ogre of the Sidlaws" — a
tale even better attested by history than the one
at present under discussion. There may, alas,
be some truth in these stones. Such blots on
the fair fame of Scodand are not altogether
impossible. France, and Italy, and perhaps
every civilised nation under the sun, have
similar examples of abnormal depravity to
deplore in their annals. But even granted that
two instances of cannibalism are traceable in
Scottish history, the fact will not brand the
whole inhabitants of the country with the stigma
anthropophagy, as " Alba " seems to apprehend.
" One swallow does not make a summer " — nor
two, for that matter. If indeed it could be
scientifically proved that the teeth of Scottish
people are sharper than those of their neighbours,
distinctly betoicening anthropophagenous pro-
clivities, whereas the Englishman, being a rumi-
nating animal of the bovine type, is incapable of
such mastication — if that theory could be estab-
lished, the accusation against Scotland might
assume a serious aspect But, until that day ar-
rives, "Alba" may safely leave i^orant English-
meo wallowing in abuse of things Scottish, to
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
131
the contempt which their rudeness and stupidity
deserve. Suffer me to allude to an incident
which shows, I think, how such aspersions
may best be met. Between thirty and forty
years ago, two large religious denominations in
Scotland were desirous of becoming united.
After protracted negotiations, the proposal, for
a time, had to be abandoned, owing, to some
extent, to the opposition of a few devout persons
in the remote Highlands, who refused to
acknowledge as Christian brethem, people who,
they alleged, not content with laying sacrilegious
hands on the sacred Scriptures, were also in the
habit of winding up their unhallowed orgies of
scones and buttermilk with (horribile dictu !)
toothsome tit-bits of cooked babies ! So far as
I am aware, no person belonging to the
maligned denomination felt himself a penny the
worse for so preposterous a calumny. Having a
conscience void of offence in the matter of
babies, the slanderous accusation was merely
regarded as an illustration of the deplorable
depths to which religious bigotry, coupled with
conceited ignorance, can descend. It only
remains to be added that the union, formerly
defeated, has now been happily consummated.
There is a fair probability that in years to come
Great Britain may still continue to possess within
its borders stupid Englishmen who dislike Scot-
land, and peppery Scotsmen who resent the
dislike. It hardly seems to me as if the tone of
" Alba's " contribution will do much to sweeten
relations between them. This I think a thing
to be regretted. To all intents and purposes
English and Scottish now form one people.
" For better, for worse," the two Kingdoms have
become one, owning allegiance to the same king,
obeying the same laws, inspired by the same
ideals, and recognising (one would fain hope)
that an injury done to either of them is an injury
done to both. What though there be some
stupid Englishmen who, disliking the Scots,
pretend to believe them cannibals or the
descendants of cannibals ! Leave them to stew
in the juice of their own childish imaginings.
If a Scotsman happens to enter a room where a
mother is holding her infant child in her arms,
and the infant, misliking the Scotsman's personal
appearance, resents his intrusion by lifting up its
voice in approved baby fashion— surely the
wisest thing for the Scotsman to do in the
circumstances is to struggle to maintain an
attitude of outward unconcern, however deeply
his feelings may be wounded, rather than
provoke louder demonstrations of hostility and
mcur the undying enmity of the mother by
pricking the baby with a pin.
W. S.
Tames Clyde, LL.D. (2nd S., VIII., 28,
63).— I thank both " W. B. R. W." and " W. S."
for their notes in re Dr. Clyde. It is somewhat
unusual to find three persons (father, son, and
grandson) all bearing the same name and all
more or less distinguished. Consequently, it
need not be wondered at that, when rambling in
SL Mary's Kirkyard, Dumfries, I came upon a
headstone inscribed to the Rev. James Clyde
that I thought it might be the grammarian. I
copied it as follows :— "Rev. James Clyde. Bom
in Perth, 23rd August, 1776. Minister of the
United Presbyterian Church, Lorebum Street,
Dumfries, from 18 10. Died 7th March, 1851.
Aged 75." I have a copy of "Greek Syntax, with
a Rationale of Constructions" (1857), and it has a
prefatory notice by Prof Hlackie, who states that
" the work was undertaken at his request for the
use of his classes at the University" (Edinburgh)
Another book of Dr. Clyde's, "Romaic and
Modem Greek compared with one another and
with Ancient Greek," is specially eulogised by
Lord Broughton in his "Travels in Albania."
This nobleman was better known as John Cam
Hobhouse, friend and associate of Lord Byron,
who dedicated his " Siege of Corinth " to him.
In Dr. Clyde's preface we learn that he studied
in Athens, under Prof Asopois, in 1853, having
as fellow-student Aristides Cyprianos, who
subsequently became famous. Looking at this
book with a printer's eye, I observed in the
punctuation that when a comma was required a
space was placed before it, and this satisfied me
that the book was a foreign product, "made in
Germany" — that is, printed m Leipsic, where
probably he had studied and made friends.
Why such a renowned scholar as Dr. Clyde
appears to have been should not have received
promotion to a professorship in one of our uni-
versities is one of those problems very difficult of
solution. A parallel case of neglect is that of
Wm. Veitch, LL.D. (ob. 1885, aged 91), who
was renowned over Europe as a Greek gram-
marian, yet never obtained a Greek chair.
Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
A BucHAN Farm Rhyme. — A correspondent
relates that her mother, Isabella Lawrance (1815-
1899) used to repeat the undernoted rhyme,
which was known to her as early as 1820 : —
At Sapling Brae
I biak' ma tae ;
I shod my horse at Biffie ;
I pooM a wand
In Rennals' yard,
An' whuppit on to Bruxie.
Aberdeen. Robert Murdoch.
- \
SCOTTISH AOTES AND QUERIES
. I
THE EIRTHPLACE OF GEORGE
RIDFATH.
^tch^ ^^^ w^ *^*^ ^^ cor.-ii%cr>v to
task a -_ *«-*-c. .c a .saafccss, 3 doc b«3peiess»
ac. oc^ , ...cs y«rs. a.:^d«i :o by - E.^ Odd,' of
Aai
cZ- ;r-^.*^^^ betw«n us was Icti, ^hcn
s^x^. "^;S^^ ^^ ^° ^ --"^ -
-V^-^^- «s asserted, on reoataWc aiithor-
^^^by the ocfacr it was infermi, oq t^
'^Sw'tr^ ^^"^ qxiAimed to form a
'^Sif^^L?^ ^ •^ * natiTe of Berwick-
Cf^.. '^5?^^ '"'''^ inference-thai was
n^ rf ^S""*^ was left when the cocf.sed
J^^Odd pardon me for saving thai that is
^^^WJ?^ position in which his contribution
^otUediscnssTonstiil leases it'
pai^Dhw'Tf. "^11 "^ **> » statement in a
a^Ye^t tKT^ Timibull and Maidment to
S^b!wi » ^ ^jJ^sion that Berwickshire was
P^^yRidpath^s nati.^ place. Personally I
^^c^t^*^"^"^^^^ ^ txustworthv
^^^^ to any inference however pUnsibl^.
™«m «/ ^rrare. An assertion, iTdoubt,
w^n^h^rr ^"' *? inference may not ooiv be
^ llJ^L ^^°^"^^^^ '' seeks' to estabUsh
EffiSh^ W ^T"^' *^ ^^ Advocates' Ubrary,
oppom^i;; ^? ' ^.''^ ^^ *"^«to had an
UJD r^^i j!^^ Z'S"^ *>y Alexander Monro,
who Tn coi^ «»<i Wem.-ss,
burgh uSSty %*r^" ^""^^P^ ^ E^^
with RidnatwT IT ^ ^*^ °®* contemporary
extend nrfmt^?^^''*'*^^»^y>»»i^ Princijlalsh^
San^nishL K?^^^ ^^^ ^^P^^^* ^« Uni^-ersity
oanishcd the country in i68i-if Wodrow's
date and his own stafienieBt are to
The two men were straisgefs u>
Mc?nro could have knu w n :ioch:n^
c-\:et>c what be kamed free
^icane'i frxn the matrlcula.i:'3c legrstcrs of the
l* a: vers :y. The two were c laer opponents and
siiod at opposite poi«s of thoij-^bt aLnd feeling.
Monro wai a d ^^^r.cd FrelAtist ; Ridpath a
sturdy Presb>tcnan — "acd vhai paxx hatli he
that believeth with an inadei ?"* Xciiber would
credit his adversary with a ca:>acity to tcU the
truth. Jjd^lng from Ridpath's reply, Monro
was a person coostitntioDally incaipable of
making a stasement of &ct w-itikoat wilful or
unintentional feilsTncatioo. !£. d b gjcJu re, he had
happened to stnmbie oo the trnth as to Rtdpath's
place of birth, or even so much a^ a. hint at it,
R:dpath in all probability would ha^-e trailed
attention to a pbcnoaieiioa so astounding as
that Monro, for once in his life, had contrived to
state a fact without blocdjcring^. In de&uit of
knowing Monro's words^ will ** £van Odd" give
me lea^-e to conjecture what possibly it was he
did say? To a PreLatist like Monro, a Presby-
terian bekxiged to an inferior order of being in the
scale of creatioo. He probably made some
sneering or sarcastic le fc icn ce to the insignifi-
cance of Ridpatb's origin. Perhaps he twitted him
with being "^ a scurrilous scribbler — a dowDisiii
rustic — a banished outlaw — a crreatore of no
consideration— descended from an obscure haaily
somewheze oo the Border' — or words to that
ettect.
('3} The slighting allusion to bts fstnuly seems
to have wounded Ridpath deeply. Speaking of
hims^ in the third person, he says ('* Scots
Episcopal Innocence,'* 1694, p 52), "... my
next Attaque shall be npon your [Ur. Monro's]
Evidence, Sir William Paterson, who is pleased
to treat Mr Ridpath with the genteel Terms of
" Villain, Rascal, Varlet, etc,' though at the sane
time Mr. Ridpath is content to refer it to iDV
Herald in Scotland, Whether the Family wbcncc
he is descended or Sir William's be the best
It can be very well instnicted that dtefuoSyof
Ridpath is of the same Original with the
Gordons, both by the Heralds' Boob^ ^
armorial BearingSy and constant Tradition. A^
I think there's none will deny that the Family «
Gordon is one of the eldest suad grates
Families in Scotland. The history of Doug«^
does also own that their PrinceSy Family di**!^
think it below them to espouse theQazn^a
that of Ridpath ; the best FamUics of tbe Me^
as those of Swinton, Cockhum, efc, wi d«
disown their having been allied to^^;:''7
there's %-et a Monument in Cranshaw's Chun»
at the Head of that which was fonoerly loc
■-L- ■ • • ■.
— ^p .^-^ w, ■~^— .
VOL.VIIL 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
m
liaron of Ridpatb's Seat, demonstrating that
one of our Kings did not think it below htm to
be the Guest of that Family, and to honour them
with his Company to Church. This I have
much ado to prevail with Mr. Ridpath to let pass,
as being of the Opinion that all such things are
but Vanity ; and that sola Virtus nobilitat ; nor
would he have indeed suffered it, but that his
malicious Enemies think it their interest to
revile and vilify him, because, forsooth, he was
a Servant ; though at the same time he was
never Servant to any Man, but in a Station
becoming a Scholar, and thinks it no disgrace
to be so still : And as for being Servant to the
two Sons of one Mr. Grey, it's false ; he had no
concern but with one of the two Greys, and
that was as an Assistant in his Studies ; and
that Gentleman did then, and does still treat him
as his Companion, nor is he asham'd to own
that he serves Mr. Grey now."
A long account follows, occupying several
pages, and detailing the circumstances of his
expulsion from Edinburgh, which, thou|^h deeply
interesting, is irrelevant to the present discussion.
Two things stand out clearly from the words
above quoted, (i) The quotation proves Rid-
path to have been no son of lord or laird, but a
man in humble circumstances, depending for
maintenance on his own exertions. (2) It
proves that he regarded Berwickshire as the
ancestral home of his family. But, as far as
throwing any light on his own place of birth is
concerned, he might have been bom at John
o' Groats or in the wilds of Connemara, for all
the help the quotation affords.
I fear I can produce little fresh evidence in
favour of Stirlingshire as Ridpatb's birthplace.
Confirmation of his birth in that county may
need to be sought in the British Museum or the
Bodleian Library, Oxford. The original home
of the Ridpaths was doubtless in Berwickshire,
where they were found in large numbers in
Ridpath's day. They were less numerous in
Edinburgh, Leith, and Haddingtonshire ; a few
lived in Fifeshire; one, a skipper, was an indweller
in Bo'ness ; and one enterprising lady of the
name penetrated as far as Lanarkshire. No
Ridpath, so far as I have observed, was located
in Stirlingshire at the period under discussion.
Notwithstanding this, local historians claim him
for the county, where, they allege, without hesita-
tion, he was born in 1663. Suffer me to bolster
up this allegation with my inference, or series of
inferences, which I hope "Evan Odd" may
consider not less obvious than the one to which
he has called attention. In the "Edinburgh
Register of Marriages " a marriage is recorded
between George Ridpath, tailor, and Jean Weir,
on i6th December, 1652. These may con-
ceivably have been the parents of George
Ridpath. If so, Jean Weir may have been a
native of Stirlingshire, where the name was
then, and is still, not uncommon, and, if so, the
accident of Ridpath's birth in Stirlingshire, as
vouched for by excellent authority, may readily
be accepted.
My thanks are due to "Evan Odd" for
huntmg down and tracing back to a contempor-
ary source the Berwickshire legend about
Ridpath. He has laid the story bare to the
root — has stripped it of much of the
mystery with which it had become invested
— has unconsciously revealed the unlikelihood
of any good thing at that particular period
coming out of Berwickshire — and has de-
monstrated, even to the satisfaction, I trust,
of my friend, Mr. Wilson, the sheer destitution
— the condition of absolutely primitive naked-
ness—in which his Berwickshire plea for
Ridpath now stands.
W. S.
Glencoe Massacre Relic— The Daily
Mail of 26th January this year contains the
appendid notice of a famous relic. Written
upon a single sheet of paper, the original order
for the massacre of Glencoe is shortly to be
sold at Messrs. Puttick & Simpson's rooms.
The fatal document reads : —
" You Are hereby ordered to fall upon the
rebels, the McDonalds of Glencoe, and put all
to the sword under Seventy. You are to have
a special care that the old Ffox and his sones
do upon no account escape your hands. You
are to secure all the avenues that no man
escape.
"This you are to put into executione at fyve
of tlie clock precisely, and by that time or very
shortly after it Pll strive to be att you with a
stronger party. If I doe not come to you at fyve
you are not to tary for me, but to fall upon.
"This is by the King's special command for
the good and Safety of the country, that these
miscreants be cutt off root and branch. See
that this be putt into executione without fend
or favour, else you may expect to be dealt with
as one not true to King nor Government, nor a
man fitt to carry commissione in the King's
service. Expecting you will not fail in the
fulfilling hereof, as you love yourselfe. I
subscribe these with my hand att Balicholis,
Ffeb. 22, 1692, R. O. Duncanson, ffor ther
Majesties' service. — To Capt. Robert Campbell,
of Glenlyon." Robert Murdoch.
Aberdeen.
134
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[March, 1907
LAWRANCE AND LAWRENCE FAMILIES
IN ABERDEENSHIRE, 1696.
(Continued from 2nd S., VIII,, 118.)
VOLUME II.
PARISH OF AUCHREDIE.
Auchmaludies, Bedlainis, and Drums.
11. William Laurance, cottar, and his spouse, i2s.
PITFORSKIE.
12. Marjorie Laurance, servant, fee per annum £S,
fortieth pairt and generall poll . . los.
PARISH OF LONMAY.
36. William Laurence, tennent in Cairnglasse, pos-
sesses of his master's valued rent £6^ 13s. 4d.,
which, with his owne generall poll, and his
wife, Agnes Murison, is . , £1 5s. 4d.
Robert Milne, shoemaker, and his wife, Jean
Leurence i8s.
37. Christian Laurence, and her sone, Alexander
Buchan, a weaver . . . i8s.
Alexander Laurence (servant to David Smith,
tennent in Cairnglasse), her yeirlie fee, ;f 12,
is I2S.
William Laurence, weaver, and his wife i8s.
38. Isobell Laurence, and her son, Alexander Far-
quhar I2S.
WESTER CORTHIERAM (VALUATION—
100 MERKS).
41. George Laurence, cottar, and Agnes Robertson,
his wife 12s.
PARISH OF CRIMOND.
48. William Lawrence (in Logic), tennent .2s. 6d.
CALSIEHILL.
49. William Lawrence, ther, and his wife . 12s.
And for valuatione ... 2S. 6d.
PARISH OF TYRIE. NEW CAIK.
59. Isobell Lawrence, servant, fee per annum 8
merks, fortieth pairt and generall poll 8s. 8d.
PARISH OF ABERDOUR.
63. The Lord Pitsligo, the greatest heretors, valua-
tione is ... . ;f 950 OS. od.
The hundredth part, peyable be the tennents,
£g los. od.
As followeth : —
John Lawrence, George Ogstoun, and Alex-
ander Black .... 2s. 6d.
MAYNES OF ABERDOUR.
64. James Lawrence, servant, fee per annum £15
6s. , fortieth pairt and generall poll is 13s. 8d.
AUCHMALUDIE.
65. Agnes Lawrence, servant, the same fee [viz.,
^8 per annum], and poll . los.
PORTIONERS OF QUARRELL BURN.
69. John Laurence, and his wife and daughter, iSs.
And for valuatione 2s. 6d.
MAINES.
72. James Lawrence, subtennent, and his wile, 12s.
TOWIE.
73. John Lawrence, herd, his fee per annum £si
fortieth pairt and generall poll is . 86. lod.
PARISH OF PITSLIGO.
85. John Lawrence, his fee per annum is £y, fortieth
pairt with generall poll . . 9s. 8d.
87. Alexander Lawrence, servant, fee £g, fortieth
pairt and generall poll . . los. 6d.
PARISH OF FRASERBURGH.
92. William Lawrence, servant, at ;^io fee per
annum iis.
94. John Lawrence, servant, at 3 merks of fee, 7s.
Andrew Lawrance, subtennent, and Margrat
Robertson, his wife . . . lasw
Robert Lawrance, £S of fee . . . los.
96. Elizabeth Lawrence, indweller (subtennent in
Techmuirie) 6s.
loi. John Lawrance, and his wife (tennents in the
Maynds of Philorth) .... 128.
PARISH OF CRUDEN. OVER ACHIRIE.
116. John Lawronsone, tennent ther . 17s. 8d.
Elspet Forrest, his spouse ... 6s.
George, Gilbert, and Jean Lawronsones, ther
children 18s.
6s.
6s.
NETHER ACHIRIE.
117. William Hay, grassman
Margaret Lawrensone, his spouse .
PARISH OF SLAINS. KNAPLEASK.
146. George Lawrensone, in Majmes of Leask,
valued rent is 19s.
MAYNS OF LEASK.
147. George Lawrensone, tennent ther, his propor-
tione of the valued rent is 19s., and the gene-
rall poll for himself and wife is £1 lis. od.
David Lawrensone, subtennent ther, and his
wife, poll is I2S.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
135
PARISH OF FOVERANE. MAINS OF
TILLIERAY.
159. Robert Laurensone, tennent ther, his propor-
tione with the generall poll is .12s.
Item, his wife, her poll is . . . 6s.
KINKNOKIE.
165. George Laurensone, his fee £4 per annum,
poll is 8s.
PARISH OF UDNIE. TORRIE.
172. Francis Laurensone, tradesman, and his wife,
poll i8s.
NEW SEAT OF DRUMBRECK.
173* John Laurie, for fee and poll, is . . iis.
William Laurie (no fee), and poll for himself
and wife i28.'
PARISH OF TARVES. NORTHSEAT.
188. Gilbert Lawrance, cottar, and his wyfe, of
generall poll i2s.
MEIKLE YTHSIE.
197. George Laurie, servant, of fee and generall
poll 14s. 8d
PARISH OF METHLICK. WEATSEAT.
225. Alexander Laurie and his wife, their poll is i2S.
PARISH OF LOGIE BUCHAN. MEIKLE
TIPPERTY.
231. Elspet Laurenson, for fee and generall poll, los.
PARISH OF KINGEDWARD. MILNESEATT.
327. Item, Walter Lowrie (subtennent), grassman
ther, and Margaret Smart, his spouse 12s.
PARISH OF TURREFF.
341. Lourance Law, ther . . .is.
MILL OF ASHOGLE.
345. John Laurence, servant, for lee and generall
poll ...... los. 8d.
353. Jean Lourance, servant, for fee and generall
poll 9s.
355. James Laurie, servant, for fee and generall
poll, is ...... 13s.
360. Elspet Lawrance, for fee and generall poll, 7s.
PARISH OF AUCHTERLASS. MILLN OF
TOWIE.
386. John .Lourie, servant, for fee and generall poll,
\^ • • » • • • m X AS«
PARISHES OF RUTHEN AND BOTARIE.
HILLYSYDE.
441. Walter Lowrie, and Walter, Jane, and Issobell
Lowries, his childring, in familiar i& £1 4s.
PARISH OF BAHELWIE.
532. William Lowray, in Haterseat (tennent) 5s.
PARISH OF OLD MACHAR. BALGOUNIE.
554. John Laurenstone, wyver, and his wyfe, their
poll is ...... 18s.
562. John Laurenstone, with his wife (no children,
etc.), and his oun generall poll . .12s.
563. Margarat Laurenston, 14 merks per annum,
xos. 8d.
TOWN OF OLD ABERDEEN.
584. John Lawrensone, merchant ther (no stock),
and his wife i2s.
590. Elspet Laurenstone, servant, for fee and gene-
rall poll ;£'! 4s. od.
TOWN AND FREEDOM OF ABERDEEN.
614. Isobell Collie, relict of James Bartlett, stock
under 10,000 merks, no child ; servants, James
Deans and Jean Lowrans, no fee; Marjorie
Smith, 16 merks yearly ' £s 9^ 4<1*
616. Thomas Biu'net, litster, stock under 5,000 merks,
for himselfe and wife, James and Anna, his
children; servants, Alexander Robertsone,
£2^ yearly. Christian Watson and Elspet
Lowrans, £% yeirly, each . £^ 12s. od.
631. Charles Lowrie, merchant, stock above 10,000
merks, for himselfe and wife, no child; ser-
vants, William Lowrie and William Eraser,
no fees ; Margaret Eraser, Janet Jaffray, and
Janet Anderson, no fees ; [ J Marnoch,
16 merks yeirly . . ^ 12 13s. 44.
From the foregoing references, it may be
safely asserted that the home of one of the
branches of the Lawrances lies in the eastern
portion of Aberdeenshire, and I shall be glad if
any reader can account in any way for the
migration to the districts named in the list It
is quite possible that the name was acquired
from Lawrance Fraser of Philorth, Fraserburgh,
who flourished 1498. One gentleman tells me
that his grandfather said his progenitors believed
themselves to be a remnant of those who par-
ticipated in tlie Spanish Armada, but the evi-
dence surrounding this mythical tale is without
foundation. In any case, the name is one of
frequent occurrence in Orkney and Shetland, in
a variety of forms.
In a historical sketch of the Clan MacLaurin
by James Logan, 1899 edition, p. 305, the fol-
lowing interesting information is given : — The
MacLaurins afford an instance of a clan of very
ancient descent, having become of inconsider^
136
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[March, 1907
able importance compared with other more
fortunate tribes. There is a traditional origin
given of the MacLaurins with reference to a
mermaid, which is among the most puerile of
many similar legends, but it was sufficient to
induce the heralds to assign armorial bearings
allusive to the fancied occurrence when the
eminent Lord Dreghorn, who claimed the chief-
ship, applied, in 1781, for matriculation of these
family honours in the Lyon College of Arms.
Loarn or Lawrin, one of the sons of Ere, who
settled in Arg[yle, 503, acquired that district,
which from him is said to have obtained its
name. This appellation, however spelt, is in-
variably pronounced Lawrin by the Gael ; and
there can be no reasonable doubt that it is a
modification of Lawrence, the name of the saint
who suffered martyrdom under Valerian, 261.
Its Gaelic orthography is Labhrainn, the bh
being quiescent
Aberdeen. Robert Murdoch.
Scott and Urquhart Families.— An
"Aberdeen Almanac" of 1823, presented by
Mr. George Walker, Aberdeen, to the Aberdeen
Public Library, has the following information in
handwriting on the fly-leaves at the end: —
"Anne Urquhart, married to Mr. Scott in
AugL 1820. Sept. 1 82 1 had a still-born dr. In
June 1822, had a son who only lived a few hours.
Mr. Scott, died 2* Deer 1822. Williamina
Scott, bom 13 May, 1823. 10 Dec 1822. Rep"^
opened. Present.— G. Burnett, Rev*- W"-
Malcolm, Leochel, Beng*»- Lumsden Hatton
bum, Alex Harper, merch*- Abd»- John Lumsden
Sherriffs and Rev. Mr. Urquhart — 5 first
Tmstees by unexecuted sett*^" Rev. William
Malcolm mentioned above was granduncle of
J. Malcolm Bulloch, and that gentleman may
note that another edition of his relative's
catechism (2d.) which was revised, enlarged,
and edited by the Rev. James Grant, D.D.,
minister of Fordyce, was published by D.
Wyllie & Son, 247 Union Street, Aberdeen,
last year. There were 1,000 copies printed, and
although there is no imprint, the printers were
Messrs. G. & W. Fraser, Aberdeen.
Aberdeen. Robert Murdoch.
Madeline Smith (2nd S., VIII., 115).—
"Surely it is about time that that unhappy
woman, who, we believe, is still alive, and a
resident in London, should have the benefit of
the Statute of Limitations."— 5^^r/tf/^r, January
26, 1907. X.
Butler's "Lobster" Simile.— -There is a
favourite quotation in '^Hudibras" (Canto II.,
part 2) :
The sun bad long since in the lap
Of Thetis taken out his nap,
And like a lobster boiled, the morn
From black to red began to turn.
Like many other youngsters with literary
proclivities, I doated on this droll phrase and
dragged it into my correspondence, so much so
that the late Mr. Alexander Simpson, well known
in Aberdeen as a superior critic on art and the
drama, gently reproved me. I had not read
Rabelais then, but some years afterwards I
'bought an old volume (Motteux's translation) of
" Pantagruel's Voyage to the Oracle of the
Bottle," and there m Book V., chapter 8, 1 found
this realistic picture : — "When day, peeping in the
east, made the sky turn from black to red, like a
boiling lobster y he waked us again," etc. It will
be perceived at once that Butler " conveyed "
the conceit from Rabelais, who flourished in
France fully a century earlier (1483- 1553), and,
like other thieves, spoiled the booty in its forcible
removal. A critic out here instanced that
veritable couplet about the lobster as a proof of
originality, to copy which would be plagiarism ;
but he was somewhat shocked to learn that
Butler was the plagiarist himself, and conse-
quently he had to modify his oracular dictum.
Before I had dipped mto Pantagruel and
Gargantua, that couplet haunted my mind when
other and better Hudibrastic lines eluded recall,
and I quoted them with relish as a sample of
the wit of Samuel Butler ; but one day a
matter-of-fact fishmonger disparagingly termed
them nonsense, to my surprise. He maintained
that the colour of a boiled lobster was fixed
and could not turn, whereas the case was
different with a lobster that had to be boiled.
He examined it from a professional point of
view, and his objection was valid and scrupu-
lously correct . But Rabelais made no such
blunder, and unquestionably this whimsical
description of sunrise belongs by priority of
claim to the witty Frenchman.
Melbourne, Australia. Alb.\.
Geological Note. — In an excavation mak-
ing just now (February 15) for an addition to
the Middle School in the Gallowgate, a layer of
black earth is seen below ten or twelve feet of
gravel which had been brought to fill up a
natural hollow in the Gallowgate, between
Littlejohn Street and Upperkirkgate, Aberdeen.
John Milne, LL.D.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
W
NOTABLE MEN AND WOMEN OF
FORFARSHIRE.
(Continned from 2nd S., VIII., 120,)
17. Allan, Thomas R. : Violinist. Bom
1807 in Forfar, he was brother of No. 13, and a
violinisjt of great ability. He settled in Fife,
where he successfully organised musical classes,
his services being in great demand at all musical
gatherings. His end was tragic, as he was found
lying dead at a dykeside in 185 1.
18. Allan, William : Minor Poet. Born
•784 or 1780, he died early in the year 1804,
but before his death had written a good deal of
verse. He was a friend of Alexander Balfour.
For notice see " Bards of Angus and M earns."
19. Allan, Sir William, M.P. : Minor
Poet and Politician. Born Dundee, 22nd '
November, 1837, bred an engineer, he wrought at
his trade in Glasgow and elsewhere, and served
on board one of the blockade runners during the
American Civil War. He entered the service of
an engineering firm at Sunderland in 1868, and
became manager of the works in 1870. A pro-
lific author, he has published six volumes of
verse. Conspicuous among them are the
following:— "A Book of Poems," "Heather Bells,"
and " Lays of Leisure." Moreover, as befits a
marine engine builder and proprietor of the
Scotia Engine Works at Sunderland, he has also
monographed on " Rough Casting '* and " The
Engine Room." He first entered Parliament as
a Radical in 1893 for the burgh of Gateshead,
a seat he held till his death in . He was an
advanced Radical, generally in sympathy with
Sir Charles Dilke's political views, but more
particularly with those of Mr. William Allan, a
fact which did not, however, render him any the
less popular, both in the House and among his
constituents. He was one of the most pictur-
esque of parliamentarians in the closing years of
Mr. Gladstone's career, and came to the front in
that Parliament by his vigorous denunciations
of the tubular boilers then being introduced into
the Navy. He was knighted before his death in
recognition of his public services.
20. Allardyce John : Violinist. Born
Guthrie, 5th November, 1838, he is an excellent
player on the violin, long resident in Arbroath,
and has a wide reputation in the North-East of
Scotland.
21. Anderson, Alexander (Rev.) : Free
Church Divine and Author. Born 1823 in
Barry, he was ordained to Helensburgh Free
Church in 1858, and died in . He published
a " Life of Dr. Nathanael Paterson.'^
22. Anderson, James (Rev.) : Free Church
Divine and Author. A native of Kirriemuir,
born 1807, he was educated at Marischal College,
Aberdeen, and the Theological Hall of the
Original Secession Church. For some years a
minister of that Church in his native town, he
resigned his charge owing to an affection of the
chest Settling in Edinburgh, he devoted him-
self to biographical literature. He assisted Dr.
M'Crie, Hugh Miller, Dr. Fleming, and Prof.
Balfour in producing a volume called "The
Bass Rock," 1847. In 1850 he brought out his
most celebrated work, "The Ladies of the
Covenant." In 1852 he joined the Free Church
of Scotland with many other Original Secession
ministers. His other works were, "The Ladies
of the Reformation" (two series), 1854, etc.,
and "Memorable Women in Puritan Times,"
2nd vol., 1862. He died in 1875.
23. Anderson, James : Author. A native
of Arbroath, flourished in the second half of the
nineteenth century, and is the author of a book
of travels. I have no other notes about him.
24. Anderson, John : Town Clerk, etc.
Bom Dundee, 1795, son of William, a brewer,
and elder in the Auld Kirk, he was educated at
St. Andrews, but studied law at Edinburgh
University. He commenced business in Dundee,
where he figured as a keen Liberal and municipal
reformer. A Police Commissioner in 1823, he
was returned as one of the Merchant Councillors
in 1 83 1, and was chosen First Bailie in 1833.
In 1838 he opposed the Jail Bill, which, largely
owing to his exertions, was defeated. One of
the leading spirits in fighting the Auld Kirk
pretensions, and getting the legal stipend of
ministers reduced to ;f 105, he was appointed
Conjunct Town Clerk in 1854, and died 1864.
•
25. Anderson, Joseph, LL.D. : Distin-
guished Antiquary. A native of Arbroath, bom
in 1832, he became a teacher in his native town
1852, and was sent to Constantinople in that
capacity in 1856, where he remained till 1859.
He acted as editor of John d Groats Journal
1860-69, and has been Keeper of the National
Museum of Antiquities since 1870. He has
issued the following works : — " Orkneyinga
Saga," 1873; **The Oliphants in Scotland,*
1879; Drummond's '^Ancient Scottish Weapons,"
1881. He has also been twice Rhind Lecturer,
publishing ** Scotland in Early Christian and
i3i
scorns// notes and queries
[March, 1907
Pagan Times," 4 vols., 188 1-6, and "Early
Christian Monuments of Scotland," 1892. He
is Hon. Professor of Antiquities to the Royal
Scottish Academy, and has contributed numer-
ous papers to the proceedings of the society.
26. AlKENHKAD, James : a native of Mont-
rose, trained in the office of Robert Clark^ writer
there, afterwards engaged in London ; emigrated
from thence to Launceston, Tasmania. In 1841
he, along with others, established "The Corn-
wall Fire and Marine Insurance Company," of
which he remained secretary until 1884 ; and in
1842 he assisted in establishing The Launceston
Examiner^ of which he acted as editor until
1869. He was one of the founders of the
Launceston Savings Bank, of which he remained
a manager until his death ; also of the Launces-
ton Chamber of Commerce, the Mechanics*
Institute, and the Launceston Public Library.
From 1870 till 1885 he represented Tamar in
the Legislative Council, and from 1876 till his
retirement he was Chairman of Committees.
He died on 9th July, 1887.
27. Anderson, Alexander, m.d. : Son of
James Anderson, farmer, Law of Craigo, near
Montrose, bom 1806, graduated as M.D. at
Edinburgh University, but never practised. He
took much interest in Montrose Museum, and,
being a specialist in coins and medals, he spent
much time in arranging these, along with other
curios connected with historic dynasties from
before the Christian era to the present date. He
died at Montrose on 22nd August, 1893.
28. Anderson, William : Minor Poet
Bom about 1750, in Kingoldmm Schoolhouse,
he settled as teacher of a private school in
Kirriemuir. He wrote verse, and published
" The Piper of Peebles— A Tale," in 1 793. The
first edition, "By the Lamb-Leader," was
anonymous. A later edition bore Anderson's
name. He published another volume, "The
Besom Men," 1798. The date of Anderson's
death is unknown.
29. Anderson, William, The Honour-
able, J. P. : Colonial Politician. Born Montrose,
January 3, 1828, son of James, and Hannah,
is wife ; taken to Tasmania in 1842, but removed
to Victoria in 1844. In 1849 he took over his
father's business as a builder, and managed it till
1854, when he joined his father in the purchase
of Rosemount Farm, his present home. He
became an elder in the Presbyterian Church in
1854, and was for two years President of the
Aborigines Society. Appointed J. P. in 1864,
he sat in the Legislative Assembly for Villiers
and Heytesbury from 1880 to 1892, when he was
defeated at the poll. Jn 1887 he was awarded
the prize for the best managed farm in Southern
Victoria. He was Minister of Public Works in
the Gillies Administration, but resigned with the
rest of his colleagues in 1890.
30. Angus, Alexander : Minor Poet
" Secunder." Born in 1842 at Auchterhouse, he
enlisted in his youth, and served as a soldier in
India, where he rose to be a sergeant. On his
discharge he entered the railway service, and
became stationmaster at Carnoustie. At his
death in 1896 he was goods agent at Broughty
Ferry. A pleasant verse writer, he figures in
" Bards of Angus and the Meams."
31. Angus, James : Minor Poet. He was
of Kirriemuir, and in 1857 he published a booklet
of religious verse. I know nothing more of him.
32. Angus, William Cargill : Minor Poet.
Bom in Arbroath in 1870, he enlisted, when
only fifteen years of age, in the Black Watch,
and saw service in the Belfast riots, 1886.
Drafted to Malta, he removed with his regiment
to Gibraltar in 1889, and was there in 1892, but
anxious to return home ; he wrote " Notes from
Gibraltar " for the Arbroath Guide. His poems
and songs have appeared in the Guide^ the
Weekly News^ and other papers. " O Lass, Are
You Weary?" "My Bonnie Jean," "The Sun
Will Shine Again " are tne pieces that appear
under his name in the 15th Vol. of "Edwards's
Modern Scottish Poets."
33. Annan, Robert : Missionary Evange-
list. Bom in Dundee, 5th October, 1834, he led
in youth a profligate life, in the course of which
he emigrated to the United States, and then
went to Canada, where he enlisted in a Highland
regiment, but deserted and entered the Navy,
from which he also deserted, but finaUv gave
himself up, after which he was bought off by his
relatives, and returned to Dundee. Here he was
converted during the i860 revival, after which he
acted for some time as missionary under the
East Coast Mission, but latterly became fore-
man to a firm of wood merchants. It was his
habit to preach in the streets on Sabbath
evenings and often during the week. A tine
swimmer, he saved eleven persons from drown-
ing, but perished in saving the twelfth, a boy of
five, who had fallen into the water at the harbour.
The boy was saved, but Annan sank and was
drowned. His life, under the title of "The
Christian Hero," was written by the Rev. John
VoL.Vin. 2ndSERiES.3 SCOTTISH NOf^S AMD QUMUlES
^9
Mcpherson, Dundee. A few months after
Annan's death 6,000 copies of this book were dis-
posed of, and a second edition of 6,000 copies
was issued. His death took place in December,
1867. A monument to his memory, in Dundee
Cemetry, was raised in 1 869.
34. Arbuthnot, Alexander : One of
Scotland's early printers. My only information
about him is that he died in 1585, and that he
is claimed as a native of Forfarshire. There is
an Alexander Arbuthnot mentioned as a poet
by Alan Reid, who belonged to the Mearns,
'535-83. Perhaps he was the same person.
35. Archer, David Wallace: Minor
Poet. Born Kirriemuir, he was bred as a grocer,
then became a law-derk, and latterly was agent
for an insurance company. In 1889 he pub-
lished " Leaves from Logiedale."
36. Archer, William : Minor Poet. Bom
Carnoustie, 1843, and bred to the sea, he is now,
or was recently, examining officer of H.M.
Customs. He has written songs and poems
under the nom de plume of " Sagittarius.** See
"Edwards's Modern Scottish Poets," Vol. IV.
37. Arnott, Neil, M.D. : Philosopher,
Inventor, etc. The son of a Catholic farmer,
born at Arbroath in 1788, he was educated at
Aberdeen Grammar School and Marischal Col-
lege. After studying medicine, he went to
London in 1806, and studied seven months at
St. George's Hospital. He made two voyages to
China as surgeon in the service of the £.1. Co.;
then from 1811 till 1855 he carried on a large
practice in London. He was physician to the
French and Spanish Embassies, and an original
member of the Senate of the London University
(1836). He was also F.R.S. and F.G.S., and
was Physician-Extraordinary to the Queen
(1837). He died in 1874. A course of lectures
(1823-4} on Natural Philosophy in its applica-
tion to medicine formed the basis of his
"Elements of Physics or Natural Philosophy,
General and Medical*' (1827 — 7th ed., 1876).
In 1832 he invented the water-bed, and his
treatise on "Warming and Ventilating" (1834)
describes the "Arnott Stove" and "Arnott
Ventilator." His " Survey of Human Progress "
( 1 861) is full of enlightened views on improve-
ment generally. He was a munificent bene-
factor to the higher education, he and his widow
giving no less than ;£i 2,000 to the London
University, the four Scottish universities, and two
ladies' colleges in London.
38. Arrott, David, M.D. : Minor Poet. A
native of Arbroath, where he was bom in 1 803,
he studied medicine in Edinburgh and Berlin,
but settled as doctor in his native place, where
the rest of his life was spent Besides possessing
considerable scientific knowledge, and being very
skilful in his profession, he was distinguished for
his literary attainments. He wrote a good deal
of verse, and one of his poems appears in
"Round About the Round O." He died in
1877.
39. AUCHTERLONIE, DOUGLAS K. (REV.) :
A native of Carnoustie, where he was bom in
1843, he studied for the ministry of the United
Presbyterian Church, and was ordained minister
of the congregation at Craigdam in 1872. Mr.
Auchterlonie is a man of an original mind, and
has published sermons and essays marked by
keen thought and powerful imagination. He is
much esteemed for his earnestness and devotion
to duty.
40. Balfour, Alexander : Minor Poet. A
native of Monikie, where he was bom, ist March,
1767, he is claimed by Mr. M'Bain, in his
" Arbroath Poets," as one of the bards of that
town, because he spent a good part of his life
there and wrote many of his verses while there
resident His education was limited, and he
was early apprenticed to a weaver. Still, so
eager was he in the matter of self-education that
he was able, after a time, to become master of
a side-school in his native parish. He began
verse-writing when only twelve years of age, but
it was during his life as a teacher that he first
wrote for the press. At the age of twenty-six he
came to Arbroath as clerk to a manufacturer,
and the following year he married. Shortly
after, he became a partner in the firm which he
served, but the business proved unsuccessful,
and in 181 5 the firm became bankrupt. Mr.
Balfour struggled on for a time in Arbroath,
but in 1 8 18 he removed to Edinburgh, where he
served as clerk in the house of Blackwood, and
where the last years of his life were spent. He
died in 1829. A prolific author, his pen was
seldom . idle : he published many occasional
verses, as well as several works in prose and
verse. Some of his songs were set to music, and
are still popular.
41. Balfour, Charles: Minor Poet.
Born near Carnoustie in 1819, he was early sent
to work, and on the stage of life and labour has
played many parts. Beginning as a cowherd,
he has been successively apprentice brewer,
factory worker, soldier, railway parcel deliverer,
140
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[March, 1907
goods guard, passenger |^uard, and station-
master. He was seriously injured in a railway
accident in 1852, but recovered, and \i^as ap-
pointed station master at Glencarse, where he
remained till his retiral early in the nineties.
He is probably now dead See Ford's " Harp
of Perthshire."
42. Balfour, Edward Green, M.D. :
Naturalist and \uthor. A native of Montrose,
where he was bom in 1813, this enterprising
Scotsman, after studying for the medical pro-
fession, became connected with the medical
staff in the service of the East India Company,
where he rose to be Surgeon-General A keen
naturalist, he published in 1857 "Cyclopaedia of
India and of Eastern and Southern Asia,
Commercial, Industrial, and Scientific: Products
of th^ Mineral, Vegetable, and Animal King-
dom, Uueful Arts and Manufactures." A life of
Dr. Balfour appears in the "National Dictionary
of Biography." He died in 1889.
43. Balfour, Sir George, M.P. : Liberal
Politician. A native of Montrose and bom in
1809, he married a daughter of Joseph Hume,
the Radical politician of the reformed House of
Commons. He was educated at Addiscombe
Military Academy, and in 1825 entered the
Madras Artillery. From 1843 to 1846 he was
Consul at Shanghai, member of the Madras
Military Board 1849-57, member of the Military
Finance Commission of India in 1859-60.
From i860 to 1862 Sir George was chief of the
Military Finance Department of that com-
mission. He has also been assistant to the
ControUer-in- Chief, War Department In 1872
he was chosen M.P. for Kincardineshire, a seat
he held till 1892, when he retired. Sir George
became Major-General 1865 and Lieutenant-
General 1874. He died 1894.
Dollar. W. B. R. Wilson
(To he continued,)
daughter of George Mason, who was an intimate
friend and associate of General Hugh Mercer.
Aberdeen. Robert Murdoch.
General Hugh Mercer.—" The Life of
General Hugh Mercer," 8vo, 140 pp., illustrated,
with brief sketches of General George
Washington, John Paul Jones, General George
Weedon, James Monroe, and Mary Ball
Washington, who were friends and associates of
General Mercer at Fredericksburg; also a
sketch of Lodge No. 4, A.F. and A.M., of
which Generals Washington and Mercer were
members ; and a genealogical state of the
Mercer family, by Judge John T. Goolrick of
Fredericksburg, Va., was published last year
by the Neale Publishing Company, of New
York and Washington. The author affectionately
dedicated the beok to his wife, a great-grand-
dluerles.
820. *• ScoTo-BRiTi»«iNicus.'* — Who was " Scoto-
Britannicus," who published in 1822 a " Scottish
Biographical Dictionary," which was the precursor
of the collections of R. Chambers, W. Anderson,
and Joseph Irving ? As for the book itself^ I cannot
say much in its favour. The memoirs are necessarily
brief, but there are several names admitted which
will not be found elsewhere. The book is a duo-
decimo of 300 pages, two columns of only 8 ems
pica — a ridiculously narrow measure — with double
brass rules at top of page and down the centre.
Writing as a printer, I cannot imagine that there
was anything gained by the adoption of those little
columns : it must have been a positive loss to all
concerned, especially the unfortunate compositor.
The printers were Balfour & Clarke, Edinburgh,
and, in making up the book, they mistakenly only
allowed 3 ems pica for "backs," the result being
that, when bound, the stitching comes perilously
near to the print. Interspersed through the book
are several well-known poems. Sempill's ** Rhjrme
on the Earl of Moray" (1568), six pages; Drum-
mond's macaronic poem, ** Polemo-Middinia "; Col-
lin's '* Dirge on the Death of Thomson '*; Michael
Bruce's ** Elegy on Spring"; Campbell's " Lochiel's
Warning," and ** Dirge of Wallace"; Alex. Wilson's
**Blue Bird"; songs by Tannahill, and Wolfe's
" Monody on the Death of Sir John Moore." The
book is printed for Peter Brown, of 37 Nicolson
Street, Edinburgh. I am almost persuaded that
*'P. B." was the compiler. He subsequently emi-
grated to America, and settled in Canada as a
journalist, but he was eclipsed in fame both as author
and publicist by his son, the Hon. George Brown, a
grand Scot of physical and intellectual endowment,
who edited the Toronto Globe for many years, and
died on gth May, 1880, from the effects of a wound
inflicted upon him by a discharged workman named
Bennett. Perhaps '*W. S." will be able to inform
me whether my conjecture that Peter Brown was
the compiler of the book in question is correct or not
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
821. *'RosE Douglas."— In Hugh Macdonald's
delightful book, *' Rambles round Glasgow" (1854),
he has this significant item in the Cambuslang sec-
tion : — " The clever authoress of ' Rose Douglas,* a
recent meritorious work of fiction, was bom not
quite a hundred miles from the manse of Cambus-
lang, and gleaned a number of the characters intro-
duced into that production from real personages who
lived, or are still living, within no very great distance
of that locality." Judging Macdonald's "hundred
miles " to be a sort of pleonasm, I find that the in-
cumbent of the Established Kirk of Cambuslang at
that time was the Rev. J. Stewart Johnston, but
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
141
that gives me no clue as to the lady*s identity.
^What was the name of this forgotten authoress ?
' . Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
822. Drumquhassill. — Readers of the history
of Scotland during the nonage of James VI. will
remember the frequency of the Laird of Drumqu-
hassil in the internecine conflicts between the ad-
herents of Queen Mary and those of the Regent
Moray. His name was John Cunningham, and he
sided with the Regent's party. He is described as a
valiant and skilful soldier, and certainly wherever
there was fighting going on he was in the vanguard,
doughtily contesting, with his own countrymen or
with the auxiliary French. He was associated with
Crawfurd of Jordanhill in the successful escalade
and capture of Dumbarton Castle in 1 571, and in
the surrender of Edinburgh Castle in 1578, but falling
under the suspicion of the mushroom Earl of Arran,
he was executed at Edinburgh, along with Malcolm
Douglas of Mains, on 9th February, 1585. Arran
himself perished ignominiously in 1596 by the
Douglas faction. My query is: Where was this
lairdship of Drumquhassill situated ? I cannot trace
it in the "New Statistical Account of Scotland."
Probably its name has been changed long ago, and
it is extremely doubtful whether the Cunningham
Camily possess it now. I presume that it was in
Ayrshire, the northern district still retaining the
name of Cunningham, but Paterson's volumes on
Ayrshire families are not in our public library.
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
823- Cardno Family. — What is the meaning of
this name ? Is it derived from the lands of Cardno,
near Fraserburgh, or do the lands take their designa-
nion from the surname ? I have heard it stated that
the family is of French origin, and came to Scotland
with the Frasers. I do not, however, find Cardno
as a surname in Scotland earlier than the latter part
of the fifteenth century. J. M. A. W.
824. LuNAN Families. — Dr. Gammack, in a
query relating to these families (S. N. 6* Q., 2nd S.,
IV., 205), mentioned that their tradition was well-
known in Aberdeenshire. Where can I find any
information about the Lunans, or particulars of the
tradition referred to ? J. M. A. W.
825. Anderson Families in Aberdeenshire. —
It is suggested in "The Scottish Nation" that the
Scottish families of this name are either of Lowland
origin or belong to the Gaelic sept of Anderson (the
chief of which being Anderson of Candacraig), an
offshoot of Clan Anrias. From this it might be in-
ferred that not a few of the Aberdeenshire families
of the name are of Celtic descent. Dr. Davidson
(** Inverurie and the Earldom of the Garioch ") refers
to some Anderson families in Inverurie, and gives
an example (p. 120) of the transition of "Andrew"
to "Anderson," implying a Scottish, as distinct
from a Gaelic, origin. Although the tamily is very
numerous in Aberdeenshire and adjacent counties,
I do not find that the question of its origin has ever
been considered in the 5. N. &» Q. Where can I
find any authorities on the subject, or any informa-
tion as to the origin of such families as the Ander-
sons of Bourtrie, of Finshaugh or Finzeauch, of
Tilliekirie, of Comalegy, etc. ? I also find reference
made in Nisbet's " Heraldry" to a family of Ander-
son of Airderbreck, apparently connected with Aber-
deenshire. Where is Airderbreck ? W.
826. James Watson, Printer, Edinburgh.—
This well-known printer, in his conflict with Mrs.
Anderson, had occasion to address a "Memorial"
to the Secretary of State (Scotland) in the year 1715
or thereby. It has never been printed, but is evi-
dently accessible somewhere. Can any corres-
pondent say where the " Memorial " is, or suggest
where it may be consulted ?
Calder Ross.
827. Andrew Bisset. — This gentleman, a bar-
rister-at-law, was born at Montrose in 1803. (I quote
from Joseph Foster's " Men at the Bar," published
in 1885.) After education in some Scottish university,
he entered Trinity College, Cambridge, where he
graduated M. A. He adopted the legal profession in
1836, and after three years' study was called to the
Bar in 1839. He wrote on the " Law of Partner-
ship," and a " Practical Treatise of the Law of
Estate for Life," but the work which gained him
most credit in the literary arena was " Memoirs and
Papers of Sir Andrew Mitchell," Envoy to the Court
of Prussia from 1753 to 177 1, two volumes, published
185 1. Mr. Bisset had access to the correspondence
and State documents of Mitchell, which had been
bequeathed to Sir Arthur Forbes of Craigievar, and
preserved in Fintray House. Previous to Mr.
Bisset*s volumes, there was but a hazy remembrance
of the great Scottish statesman and companion of
Frederick the Great. Mr. Bisset also published, in
1871, "Essays on Historical Truth." What is
the correct date of his decease? His name dis-
appears from the " Law List" in 1900, but is in the
preceding year. If Mr. Foster's date of birth be
right, and his death in 1899, he must have attained
the great age of 96. He had a son named Walter
Bisset, also a barrister. Perhaps some correspondent
would kindly give the correct dates. There is no
mention of his decease in the usual literary reposi-
tories, no more than if he had never existed.
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
828. Musical Terms—" Treble," " Bimull-
Clieff." — Treble is said to come from the Latin
word tiiribulariuSj a censer carrier, and to mean the
voice of boys, who threw vessels of silver containing
burning incense high in the air in churches, with a
cord attached by which they kept them from falling
on the floor when they came down. ** Bimull-clieff "
occurs in Alexander Skene's " Succinct Survey of
Aberdeen," 1685 : — " In the steeple are three great
harmonious bells, in sound each descending l^low
another but by one musicall note, as upon a bimull-
clieff." What does this term mean ?
John Milne, LL.D.
142
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[March, 1907
829. Patrick Grant, Lord Elchies. — Is any
portrait of Lord Elchies kno\vn to exist? Inquiry
at likely places in Edinburgh has proved fruitless.
I should also much appreciate any references to
sources of information respecting his career.
H. D. McW.
830. Dr. Peter Grant. — A white marble monu-
ment in the east wall of the old Church of Fetteresao
is inscribed as follows: — ** Sacred to the memory of
Mary, daughter of Robert Farquhar, Esq., of New-
hall, who died May, 1786, aged 23 years; and of
Hobert, son of Captain Arthur Farquhar, R.N.,
C.B., who died 14th September, 18 16, aged 5 ; and
of Dr. Peter Grant, some time physician in Aberdeen,
who died at Mansfield, 23rd February, 1837, aged 76
years ; and of Amelia Farquhar, his spouse, who died
at Mansfield, ist December, 1838, aged 6g," Who
was Dr. Peter Grant ? He is not mentioned in Mrs.
Rodger's " Aberdeen Doctors at Home and Abroad."
Was he a graduate of Aberdeen University.
M. Grant.
831. Joseph Gordon. — I am anxious to discover
the origin of a Joseph Gordon who is mentioned in
the Rev. A. W. H. Eaton's pamphlet on the families
of Easton-Sutherland and Layton Hill (New York,
1899) as the grandson of John Gordon, a landed pro-
prietor in *' Lord Rea's country," and the son of
James Gordon and his wife, Jane, daughter of
James Mackay of Muckleferry. Joseph had three
brothers — Alexander, a planter in Jamaica ; Robert,
who died of yellow fever in Martinique; and
John, who also was in Martinique. He also had a
sister, Christina, who married (i) Donald Sutherland
of Muckleferry (died 1798), by whom she had several
children, and (2) Captain George Mun/'o, the 71st
Regiment (who had previously married M^ry,
daughter of Dr. Matheson, of Invergordon). * By
Munro she had James, Mary, and Isobell, all of
whom were alive in 1865. The name Joseph as
applied to the Gordons is to be found chieny in
Sutherlandshire. It appeared specially among the
Gordons of Carroll. There was also a Joseph
Gordon at Skibbo, who is said to have been the
father of George W. Gordon, the ** Jamaica Martyr."
Any information upon any of these Josephs will be
welcome. J. M. Bulloch.
audwers.
466. Blackwood's Magazine (2nd S., VI., 45,
63; VII., 127). — After the death of my great-
grand£ather, the Rev. William Paul, of St Cuthbert's
Church, Edinburgh, in 1802, his widow and family
continued to live on in the manse— familiarly known
as "the West Kirk Manse"— till 1814. Among
frequent visitors there was a young man who had
acquired the art of wood engraving, whether as a
professional or an amateur I am not certain. It
was he who executed the portrait of George Buchanan
which, on being shown to William Blackwood, was
bought by him and used as the vignette on the cover
of his famous magazine. The artist presented the
family at the manse with the first impression of the
engraving, and it is now in my possession in its old
black frame. This information I had from my grand-
father, who, at the time referred to, was a resident in
the manse. I don't remember the young engraver's
name, if indeed I ever heard it Some time ago I
communicated with Messrs. Blackwood & Sons,
but they were unable to give me his name or any
information as to the circumstances under which the
engraving was first chosen for the magazine. I may
add that in the original the face of Buchanan is
turned to the right instead of to the left, as on the
magazine to-day, and that the border of thistles
round the vignette is wanting. Otherwise the two
are identical.
Dollar. Robert Paul.
722. Barclay of Ury (2nd S., VII., 172, 190,
191 ; VIII., 29). — David Johnstone, bookseller, 75
Hanover Street, Edinburgh, advertises in his Second-
Hand Catalogue, XLVIII., item 63, the following:—
** A Genealogical Account of Barclay of Urie for
upwards of 700 Years, with Memoirs of CoL D.
Barclay and Robert Barclay. London, 1812."
8vo, hf. ci; scarce, los.
Aberdeen. Robert Murdoch.
761. Adam Donald (2nd S., VIII., 28, 47)-— I
thank " W. L. T." for his answer to my query ; it is
evidently correct. I am not responsible for those
dates, as I simply copied them from a London
*' Catalogue of Engraved Portraits " in our Public
Library. I had a dim recollection of reading a
pamphlet or article about Donald in my apprentice
days, and desired more light on the subject. I think
I recognise in *' W. L. T." the name of a gentleman
whose fame as a bibliophile has reached Australia,
and whose treasury of psalters and early Peterhead
publications I would like to inspect. I am tempted
to further inquire whether any of Adam Donald's
predictions came true, or were they onl^ the idle
vaticinations of a brain-sick enthusiast who
impressed the neighbouring peasantry into a belief
of his supernatural gifts ? His portrait being
amongst a crowd of celebrities is proof that his
fame had travelled a bit. Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
765. Moses Provan (and S., VIII., 29, 48). —
I thank " Evan Odd" for his note in answer to my
query, and refer ** Chappie" to the same work,
*' The Glasgow Athenaeum : a Sketch of Fifty Years'
Work," which I am not likely to see in this colony.
My books on Glasgow are not up-to-date, being
half-a-century old. What I read about the
Athensum was to the eflfect that Mr. Provan was
one of the leading spirits of the institution, a lover
of literature, and probably wrote occasionally, but
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
143
I cannot say more, as I really do not know. I was
asking for information, and consequently unable to
give any. I make no apology to ** Chappie " for his
overhauling so many dusty documents; it will do
him good and keep him out of harm's way. He
ought to have consulted Mr. Lauder's book first, and
then he would not have got bogged in his search.
'* Chappie," from the tenor of his communication,
seems to me to have been suffering from ecchymosis,
which has also tinctured his remarks. Thanks all
the same tor reminding me of T. Atkinson and H. G.
Bell. I love and admire both as leal-hearted Scots.
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
78a McKelvie, McIlvain (2nd S.,VIII., 62,
80, 127). — It is a question whether these two names
have any connection with one another, but " H. D.
McW.'s" suggestion that they are synonyms of
Macbean is entitled to respect, though not perhaps
on the ground he advances. In all probability, Mr.
F. Adam in his book included the Mcllvains among
the Macbeans merely because of the similarity of the
final syllable of their name to the tribal name Clan
Vean, and he would find difficulty in tracing any
individuals bearing the name to the Macbean stock.
There is an unfortunate tendency, even in these
enlightened days, to assign all persons bearing the
same name, or something like the same name, to a
common ancestor or clan, and this tendency is verv
apparent in the book referred to by " H. D. McW."
"McIlvain" is probably either "McCoil Bhean"
(son of &ir Donald), or ** McGille Bhean " (son of
the fair youth) — the former for choice. I find several
instances of the epithet " Vain " (*' Bhean ") in docu-
ments and lists of the 17th and i8th centuries, e.g.,
" McCouchy Vain " (son of fair Duncan). A similar
name is "Mcllduy" (son of black Donald).
" McKelvie" is readily traceable to *' McBean." It
is Mac-gilU'bheatha (MacGilvei), son of the servant,
or youth of life, and seems identical with a name
which I have found in Badenoch in the i8th century,
and by which an existing family of Macbeans con-
nected with that district is still known. This name
is McAllvia, spelled variously McGallbea in 1722,
McCoilbea in 1725, McAllvia in 1727, and McIIlbea
in 1773. The persons designated by these names
were Macbeans in the parish of Alvie, of a family
known locally as *' Clann-*ic-al-bheatha,*' and in a
communication to the Inverness Northern Chronic U
of I2th July, 1905, Dr. Alex. Macbain, the well-
known Celtic authority, says of this local name that
** the name underlying 'Albheatha is the old Gaelic
one of Maolbheatha, servant of life, a side form of
Macbheatha (Macbeth), son of life." Duncan
McBean, alias McIIlbea, in Achacha of Raits, is
one of the witnesses cited in the trial of the notorious
Edward Mackintosh (called of Borlum), before the
Justiciary Court at Inverness on the 17th of May,
1773. In one declaration emitted in the previous
December, Duncan is described as ** alias McCoil
Bea," in another the alias is omitted, and he is called
simply ** Duncan McBean in Achacha."
A. M. M.
786. **Hail, Smiling Morn" (2nd S., VIL,
77) 95)' — I would have liked to satisfactorily answer
Mr. Alan Reid's query as to the authorship of the
quatrain which SpofTorth has rendered so popular
with his harmonious setting, but I am afraid that it
must be assigned to " Mr. Anon," otherwise, anony-
mous. I felt confident that I would get full informa-
tion thereanent in Oliphant's " La Musa Madriga-
lesca" (1837), but on consulting that book I found
that it was restricted to the history of madrigals of
the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods. I then over-
hauled a great number of musical collections and
memoirs, but without success. Mentioning my
disappointment to a Scottish crony, he blithely
laughed, and rejoined : — *' Hoots ! it desna maitter ;
but, man, that first line ' Hail, Smiling Morn, that
tips the hills with gold,* sets me a-thinkin'. It
shows clearly the universality o* the practice o*
tippin', when Aurora began the ploy, an' she wasna
lookin' gloum at the ootlay either, but smilin' ; an',
mind ye, her tip wasna siller or copper — na, na ! but
gold, man. That line proves to me that tippin' was
coeval wi' the foundation o' this warld, an' nae
wonder that waiters, jockeys, flunkeys, railway
porters, commission awgents, an' a clanjamphrey o'
ithers are eydent an' clamorous for tips ! "
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
808. A Mackie Marriage (2nd S., VIII., 126).
— The late Mrs. Trevelyan (maiden name, ElizabetJh
Mackie), was a native of New Byth. She left )C5<^
to the poor of the village. Her mother, when
contradicted, was wont to blaze up, ** I'm the
mither-in-law o' a nobleman : I'll talc' conter frae
nane." G. W.
- 816. Alexander Gordon of Carnousie (2nd
S., VIII., 126). — Alexander Gordon of Carnousie,
Forglen, Banffshire, was the youngest son of George
Gordon of Carnousie, who was, in turn, second son
of Sir George Gordon of Edinglassie, Mortlach,
Banffshire. Sir George was second son of John
Gordon, second Laird of Park (Banffshire). The
Park Gordons were Rothiemay Gordons. Sir George,
who was knighted in 1681, was that year made Joint
Sheriff Principal of Banffshire. In 1685 he was one
of the Commissioners of the shire. He was a strong
supporter of William III. during Dundee's rising.
He died in 1690 or 1691 at Carnousie, which he had
acquired sometime before. His son George succeeded
to Carnousie, and was out in the ** Fifteen," on the
Jacobite side. Arthur, George's eldest son, succeeded
to Carnousie, and apparently did not go out with
Charlie in the " Forty-five," though his youngest
brother, Alexander, the subject of the query, did.
Banff. Jambs Grant.
The only person who seems to fit in with "Loudon
Hill's " queiy is Alexander Gordon (born 1708), the
sixth son of George Gordon, I. of Carnousie. He
appears as executor to his sister Catherine's will in
1764 as " Lieutenant, H.M. Royal Hospital, Green-
wich. It is difficult to understand, however, how
this position came to be held by a man who was '* in
144
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[March, 1907
I
Arthur (Iordon,
II. of Carnousie.
Elizabeth Gordon,
mar. Arthur Gordon of
Law and Wardhouse.
J. M. B.
8x7. James Watson's " History of Print-
ing," Edinburgh, 1713 (2nd S., VIII., 126).—
Since sending my. query, I have come across the
following, which seems a partial answer to it The
extract is from an unpublished MS. by George
Chalmers, the author of ''Caledonia," and '* Life of
Ruddiman": — ** The late intelligent George Patient
(sie) asserted that the preface of this little work,
which is subscribed by Watson, was, in fact, written
by John Spottiswoode, advocate. It is the prefoce
which gives a superficial and inaccurate account of
the Scottish printers." Chalmers, however, does
not agree with Patient, for he adds:—" If I were to
conjecture, I would say that I think Spottiswoode
wrote the history of the foreign printers, and Watson
the account of the Scottish printers," and that, there-
fore, the preface is, like the Pentateuch, Mosaic work.
Who was this Georgp Patient? I thir^k I have
accurately transcribed his name.
Calder Ross.
819. Duff Family (2nd S., VIII., 127).— A
reader of Scottish Notes and Queries writes to me
identifying the place name which I had written
" Beanmakeloch ^* with " Bomakelloch " or ** Boma-
calloch," near Keith. The pedigree of 1771, from
which I obtained the name, was compiled and written
in France, and I now see that the first syllable of
the name is clearly ** Beau," not " Bean," as I had
copied it. A. M. M.
I think a pedigree of Menzies of Pitfoddels
appeared in Scottish Notes and Queries a few years
ago. If so, can a reference be given to it in next
number?
Bomakelloch is in the parish of Botriphinie, Banff-
shire. It is sometimes spelt Balmakellach. It is a
farm on the estate of Mr. Gordon Duff of Drummuir.
The name given in the auery is evidently mis-spelt.
John Duff of Balmakellach was the immediately
younger brother of Alexander Duff of Keithmore.
He died in 1696, aged 73 years. Katherine Duflf,
John Duffs daughter, is correctly given in the pedi-
gree referred to as *' neptes " (which, however, here
means ** niece," not grand-daughter or grand-niece),
of the said Alexander of Keithmore, who was grand-
father of William, first Earl of Fife.
Banff. James Grant.
the exceptions from the Act of Indemnity, 1747." His
brother, Arthur Gordon of Carnousie, was certainly
out in the ** Forty-five." The descent of the
Carnousie Gordons is as follows: —
SiK Gkorgk Gordon of Park.
I
Sir (>K()R(;k Gordon of Edinglassic.
I
Gkok(iK (IctKDON, I. of GarriouMc.
Xttetature*
Parish of Caimie. Perhaps you may have
seen the " Parish of Cairnie," by Chief Con-
stable Jas. Pirie. It appears to me worthy of
a passing note. Some chapters are very well
done. Besides, the parish, especially Ruthven
division, is of rather wide interest, from Jock
and Tam Gordon, Geo. Macdonald's "Wow," etc.
Durris. A. M.
Scots Xoofis of tbe Aontb*
Barnett, T. Ratcllffe. Fairshiels: Memories of
a Lammermoor Parish. 12 Illustrations. 8vo.
Net, 2S. 6d. Oliphant, Anderson, & Ferrier.
Bulloch, John Malcolm, M.A. The Families
of Gordon of Invergordon, Newholl ; also Ardoch,
Ross-shire; and Carroll, Sutherland. 8vo., 122 pp.
Post free, IS. 3d. Aberdeen : D. Wyllie & Son.
Fox-Davies, A. C, and Carlyon-Britton.
P.W.P., F.5.A. The Law Concerning Names
and Changes of Name. Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d.
Elliot Stock.
Johnson, Trench H. Phrases and Origins and
Meanings. 8vo. Net, 3s. 6d.
London: T. Werner Laurie.
Johnston, G. Harvey. The Heraldry of the
Douglases. 8 Plates in Colour. 4to. Net, 12s. 6d.
W. & A. K. Johnston, Ltd.
Macdonald, Keith Norman, M.D. In Defence
of Ossian. 4to. Net. 3s. 6d.
Edinburgh : Norman Macleod.
Pirle, James. The Parish of Caimie and Its
Early Connection with Strathbogie. 5 Illustra-
tions. 8vo. Net, 2S. 6d. and 3s.
Elgin : James Pirie, 15 Academy Street.
Ronghead, William (Editor). Trial of Deacon
Brodie. 21 Illustrations. 8vo. Net, 5s.
Glasgow : William Hodge & Co.
Smith, John. The Hammermen of Edinburgh
and Their Altar in St. Giles* Church. Being
Extracts from the Records of the Incorporation of
Hammermen of Edinburgh, 1494- 1558. Demy
8vo. Net, los. 6d.
Edinburgh : William J. Hay.
NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.
All communications should be accompanied by an
identifying name and address. As publication day
is the 25th of each month, copy should be in a few
days eailier. Ed.
Printed and Published at The Bosemount Pre«, Aberdeen.
Literary communications should be addressed to the JSSofitor,
23 Osborne Place, Aberdeen; Advertisements and Btataess
Let^rs to th^ Publishers, Farmer's Hall Lane, Aberdeen.
SCOTTISH
NOTES AND QUERIES.
voL.vni. 1 Vn in
April, 1907.
KEQISTERKD{gjf«5^.^^
CONTENTS.
NOTKS :- Paqb
Aberdeen American Graduates 145
Notable Men and Women of Forfarshire 146
»ooUiBb Poets 148
The Gait Family 14a
Scottish Saints and Kalendars 149
A Bibliography of EdinburKh Periodical Literature 160
James Sinclair, Arboriculturist 152
The Late Dr. Crmniond's Publications 154
AfiHOK Notes :—
New Spalding Club— MadeUne Smith 147
Alexander Arbuthnot 148
The Origin of Place-Name Psalm Tunes— The Family
of Gray 160
Y Mackay 151
Old Parr— Gordon as a Place-Name in London 163
Abenleen and Inverness Mall Arrangements of 1822
—Aberdeen Waterman : "A Trair' 154
QCBRTES :—
The Word "Pony" :.. 156
The Cummings of Culter— Scots Episcopacy— Miss
Oordop, Buby Cottage— "The Standard Babble"
—Drum used at Harlaw— Shaws of Bothlemurchus 157
Lawrence and Macintosh Families — Uuntly in
Bombay 158
AHSWKBfl :—
Hie Gordons of Carroll— Mrs. Gordon of Craig— Dr.
George Washington Bethune— The Highland In*
dependent Companies — Inglis Family — Captain
George Gordon, R.N., of Greenhaugh— Sir Cosmo
Gordon— LoDgmore Family 158
Gordon- Anderson Marriage— Tinder Boxes in Church
--Jaidine, Bannie, Dundas — Caddell (? Calder),
alias MacPherson— "Scoto-Britannicus^'— "Rose
Douglas"— Dmmqnhassill 169
MoBical Terms: •'Bimull-Clieff" 160
litiraturs 160
Scots Books of thb Month 160
ABERDEEN, APRIL, igoy.
ABERDEEN AMERICAN GRADUATES.
[lit S., /., 137 ; v., y., y;?5, JU; VII., 14, 64, 76,
141, 175; VIII., I:i7 ; IX., 15; X., 93, 170;
XI., 173; XII., 66, 94, 1J7, W, 159; ^d S.,
/., 7, 31, 47, 59, 64, 95, 1,^7, 155, 169 ; II., 10,
:y4, 60, 77, 126, ISS, 171, 186, ; III., I64, 170;
IV., .?;>, 91; v., 9r7, 1:30; VIII., 56.)
With the assistance of many friends, in
Canada, I have been able to add considerably to
my notes upon the ministers in Canada. .
lot. R£v. Thomas Alexander (^2nd S.,
IL, p. 171) died at Brantford, Ont., in 1895,
upwards of. 90 years of age. . .
134. Rev. Daniel Allan (2nd S., VI IL, p.
55) died near Stratford, Ont., greatly beloved.
136. Rev. Daniel Clark (2nd S., Vill.,
p. $5) died at Indian Lands, much respected.
115. Rev. Alexander Gale (2nd S., III.,
155) seceded in 1844, and became Professor in
Kno^ College, Toronto : he afterwards received
the charge of the Home Mission work in the
Presbyterian Church of Canada, and died at
Hamilton.
137. Rev. Henry Gordon (2nd S., VIIL,
p. 55} continued at Gananoque after seceding,
and died there.
145. Rev. James Herald (2nd S., VIIL,
p. 56) went to Port Arthur, Ont., about 1883,
and passed on to Medicine Hat in 1885, where
he died on March 5, 1890, at the age of 64.
It is told of him at Medicine Hat, as a proof of
his good judgment, that in 1889 he bought a
homestead near the town of Medicine Hat for
ten dollars, and part of it has since been sold
for 30,000 dollars.
144. Rev. Alexander Mann (2nd S.,
VIIL, p. 55) died at Pakenham, Ont.
139. Rev. William Masson (2nd S., VIIL,
p. 55) was minister of Kirk at Gait, Ont., and
then returned to Scotland, where he became
minister of the Parish of Duflus, and afterwards
retired on account of age.
141. Rev. Alexander McKid (2nd S.,
VIIL, p. 55) died at Goderich, Ont, May 23,
1873, aged 69 years.
149. Rev. Thomas McPherson (2nd S.,
VIIL, p. 56) died at X^ncaster, Ont.,. on May
14, 1 884, aged 81. I n 1 844 he refused to secede,
and at the re-union in 1875 ^^ refused to unite
with those who had seceded. He was noted as
an eloquent preacher both in English and
Gaelic, and was familiarly known as ^'Minister
Macpherson." . " ;
146
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[April, 1907
151. Rev. John RANNiE(2ndS.,VIII.,p. 56)
left Chatham, Ont, in 1877, and was 27 years in
Berbice, British Guiana. He now lives in
England.
155. Rev. George Smellie, D.D. (2nd S.,
VIII., p. 56} was descended through a line of
ministers, and bom in Orkney;, June 14, 181 1.
For eight years he preached in Lady Parish,
Orkney, and came to Canada in 1843, where he
laboured for 44 years in Fergus, Ont, retiring in
1888, after being 52 years in the ministry. In
his earlier years he edited the " Memoirs of the
Rev. Dr. Bayne of Gait," at whose instance he
had crossed the seas, under appointment of the
Colonial Committee of the Church of Scotland.
In 1885 he received the degree of D.D. honoris
causa^ from Queen's University, Kingston. He
died very unexpectedly in Toronto on Nov. 14,
1896.
158. Rev. Alexander Spence, D.D. (2nd
S., VIII., p., 57) returned to Scotland and died
at Elgin.
III. Rev. John Tawse (2nd S., II., p.
186) died at King, Ont, 1877.
159. Rev. George Thomson (2nd S.,
VIII., p., 57) died at Renfrew, Ont.. where he
was mmister.
113. Rev. Hugh Urquhart, D.D. (2nd S.,
II., p. i86) died at Cornwall, Ont., when
minister there.
103. Rev. George Chevne (2nd S., II., p.
171) died at Sallflect, Ont, in 1878.
162. Rev. William Ferguson, said to
have been educated at Aberdeen, was in 1866
catechist in the Presbytery of Glengary, Ont.
(" Report • of the Presb. Church of Canada,
1866,*' pp. 82, 167). He afterwards became
minister of Kirk at Streetville, Ont, and died
Uiere. Can this be the William Ferguson, native
of Peterculter, who graduated at Marischal
College in 1848? ("Mar. Coll. Records," II.,
525-)
163. Rev. James Wilson, M.A., said to
have been educated at Aberdeen, became
minister at Lanark, Ont, then returned to
Scotland, where he was minister of Maxwelton
Chapel, Dumfries. He went back to Canada,
and officiated in St Joseph Street, Montreal
(** Report Presb. Church of Canada,'' 1866, pp.
88, 127). Can anyone identify him as a
graduate? James Gammack, LL.D.
West Hartford, Conn.
NOTABLE MEN AND WOMEN OF
FORFARSHIRE.
(Continued from 2nd S., K///., I40.)
44. Balfour, Robert : Principal of Collie
at Bordeaux, Scottish Scholar. A native of
Dundee, where he was bom in 1550, he
Eublished 1616 '' Commentaria in Organum
.ogicum Aristotelis," also in 1820 ''Commen-
tariorum in lib. Arist. de philosophica tomus
Secundus, quo post Organum Logicum,
3uaecumque in libris Ethicorum, occurrunt
ifficilia, dilucide explicantur." His friend Ktdd
was also born in Dundee.
45. Balfour, Wm. Douglas, M.P.P. :
Canadian Politician. Born 1851 in Forfar, but
taken to Canada in 1857, where he received his
education. An editor and publisher, he
established the St. Catharines Daily andWeekly
News in 1872 and the Anthersburgh Echo in
1874. After serving on the School Board of
St Catharines, and being chairman of Ambers-
burgh Public School Board, and acting as
Town Councillor, and then Reeve of the town of
Ambersburgh, he was in 1^82 returned to the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario as member for
South Essex, a seat which he continued to.hold
for many years. He carried through bills for
the improvement of the law of libel and for
the restriction of the powers of municipalities
to grant bonuses. He was a Liberal, and in
favour of manhood and womanhood suflfira^e.
If still alive, he is doubtless a prominent
politician, but my information stops at 1891.
46. Balfour, William Lawson: Minor
Poet. Bom at Point House, Carnoustie, 1831,
he is descended from the poet Alexander
Balfour. In 1847 he entered the railway
service, and was station master, Carnoustie.
He subsequently migrated to Dalmuir, on
the Clyde, where he has been long a public
man and a bailie of Clydebank. He has
written verse, and figures in "Bards of
Angus and the M earns."
47. Bannatyne, George: Collector of
Early Scottish Poetry. A native of Kirktown
of Newtyle, born 1545, he was a burgess of
Edinburgh, and to his MSS. compiled during
the pestilence of 1 568 we owe the preservation
of much of the Scottish poetry of the fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries. He died in 1608. The
Bannatyne Club, instituted by Sir Walter Scott
in 1823, has published many rare Scottish works
in poetry and miscellaneous literature. For
V0L.Vni. 3nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
147
notice of Bannatyne, see "Sir Thos. Foulis'
Diary." (S.H.S.)
48. Bannatyne, James, of Newhall :
Scottish Judge. He was a son of the laird of
Newtyle, bred to the bar, and was raised to the
bench as Lord of Session 1626, and died 1636.
49. Bannatyne, Thomas, Lord Newtyle:
Scottish Judge. Bom 31st August 1540, brother
of No. 45, and bred to the law, he was
associated with his father as Keeper of the Rolls
to the Court of Session in 1583. He had
previously been Justice Depute in 1572, and
became an ordinary Lord of Session in 1577.
He died in 1591.
50. Barnett, James : Minor Poet. Born
in Dundee in 1825, and bred a printer, he
emigrated to America. Here he published
" Four Visions in Twenty Years." He returned
later in life to Kingsmuir, near Forfar. See
" Bards of Angus and Mearns," and " Edwards's
Scottish Poets," Vol. II.
51. Barclay, David: Scottish Soldier and
early Quaker. He was the son of the last laird
of Mathers. Born about 16 10, he was a
colonel under Gustavus Adolphus during the
Thirty Years' War, but is chiefly remembered
to-day as the father of Robert Barclay of Urie,
the celebrated apologist for the Quakers. His
father became a follower of George Fox in 1666,
and young Robert joined the Society of Friends
two years after, and soon distinguished himself
by talent and zeal in defence of the views he
had adopted.
52. Barclay, Robert : Rector of Scots
College, Paris. It is a singular instance of the
diverse types of character occasionally found in
the same family, that the brother of this Romish
churchman was a champion of Protestantism,
who fought under the great Gustavus in Ger-
many, and who in later years became a devoted
follower of George Fox, the most individualist of
all Protestant sects, and that he himself should
have become a Roman Catholic of such note as
to be appointed head of the Scots College,
Paris. 1 1 is an interesting fact that the afterwards
famous apologist for the Quakers was for some
time trained under his uncle in Paris, who
wished to make him his heir, and exercised so
much influence on the lad's mind that for a time
he embraced Romanist views. This led to his
recall home, and there, as we have mentioned,
after two years with bis father, he became him-
self a convinced "Friend" in 1668.
53. Barclay, Wm. : Artist. Born in
Dundee 1836, he died in 1906. Early in his
career he won great success, his pictures being
exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy, the
Royal Academy, and at South Kensington, in
the sixties. He resided chiefly in his native
town, where his works were prized.
Dollar. W. B. R. WILSON.
New Spalding Club.— At a meeting of the
Executive Committee of the New Spalding Club
held recently— Colonel Allardyce, convener, in the
chair — it was agreed to minute an expression of
the Committee's sense of the loss sustamed by the
Club through the death of Mr. William Cramond,
LL.D. . Mr. Cramond had been an original mem-
ber of the Club and of its Council, and for many
years was also a member of its Executive Com-
mittee. By his monumental works, the "Annals
of Banff'' and the "Records of Elgin," he helped
greatly to establish the reputation of the Club. —
It was also decided to include in the programme
of the Club a volume of Banffshire records to be
edited by Mr. James Grant, LL.B., Banff. The
minutes of the "Barrens and freeholders of the
Sherriffdom of Banff," begin in 1664 ; those of
the Commissioners of Supply, in 1696; and the
Particular Registers of Sasines for the County, in
1600. From these sources Mr. Grant believes
that a work of very considerable interest can be
compiled, illustrative of many phases of county
admmistration now dead or transmuted, and
throwing light on county life and, incidentally, on
national policy. — It was further agreed to. issue
a third and concluding volume of the "Musa
Latina Aberdonensis," under the editorship of
Mr. W. Keith Leask. The volume will deal with
the writings of the lesser local poets of the six-
teenth, seventeenth, and early eighteenth cen-
turies, from Florence Wilson to William Meston,
including John and William Johnston, the three
.Wedderburns, the two Leeches, and Professor
John Ker of the " Donaides " and ** Frasereides."
Mr. Leask proposes to give metrical renderings
of the poems of local interest, with copious notes
explanatory of obscure allusions in the text.
Colonel Johnston, C.B., presents a photogravure
portrait of his collateral ancestor. Professor
William Johnston.
Madeline Smith. — To several correspon
dents we beg to say that we do not care to
follow this lady farther. Ed.
148
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[Aprii^ 1907
- SCOTTISH POETS.
In 1822 Thomas Boys, of Ludgate Hill,
London, published ** Lives of Scottish Poets,"
3 vols, duodecimo, each volume consisting of
two parts, about 180 pages each, and with a
fronttepiece group of five poets -thirty portraits
altogether— engraved on steel, and nicely
executed. Some of those gem portraits of
forgotten bards possess an extra value now, on
account of their rareness and uncertainty of
reproduction. I specially allude to those of
Marcus A. Boyd, James Moor, Caleb Whitefoord
Alex. Geddes, James Mercer, Francis Garden,
and Wm. Julius Mickle. There is a singular
story pertaining. to this collection of biographies,
and I opine that it is a correct one. It is to the
effect that there was a literary fraternity in
London at the beginning of last century and
close of proceeding one, styled "The
Club of True Scots." They met frequently,
probably there was conviviality, and they
debated keenly, particularly on Scottish themes.
Under a different name the same Scottish
Society later on was formed into aii active
organisation, mainly for the welfare of Scots in
the great metropolis. At one of their meetings,
about 1820, it was proposed that memoirs and
criticisms of Scottish poets should be prepared
and read by the members, and the project was
heartily agreed to. Many papers were accord-
ingly submitted and freely discussed, and
ultimately a desire was evinced that they should
be printed in permanent form as a souvenir of
the brotherhood. Hence those three dainty
little volumes, the expenses of publication being,
in all likelihood, defrayed by the members
themselves. My set is marked " Scarce," and
that consequently increased the selling price.
There are 65 memoirs altogether, some very
brief, others fairly accurate, but all superseded
now with our fuller knowledge of the past.
Each memoir is signed with initials, and I had
the curiosity, in an idle spell, to count them.
There are 58 different initials to the articles,
with the exception of A. C. and B. T., who
supply two small memoirs each. It would be a
trivial and even futile task to attempt to indicate
and localise any of those writers. I think this
verifies the statement that they were primarily
contributed by different members of the associa-
tion. Whether all were resident in London or
not is doubtful, but not of much consequence ;
probably some obtained help in Scotland. Of
the more extended memoirs, I specify that on
James VI., 58 pp., by D. S. (I am inclined to
attribute this to the Rev. David Scott, minister
of Corstorphine, and afterwards professor at
St Andrews, who was stated in an obituary notice
to have written " lives " of some Scottish poets,
but this is the only one with D. S. attached).
The memoirs and critique on Ramsay, 40 pp., is
by T. T. ; on Burns, 42 pp., by W. G. ( ? WiUiam
Gillespie) ; Fergusson, 38 pp., by D. C; Geddes,
36 pp., by W. M. ; and Blacklock, 30 pp., by
J . R. The editor of the whole series of memoirs
was a Scottish journalist in London named
Arthur Semple, who possibly licked some of
them into presentable shape, and whose initials
are appended to notes throughout the work. He
likewise apparently furnished the supplement of
100 pages to vol. 3, giving concise notices of minor
poets. Tannahill is included in the supplement,
but his fellow- townsman Alex. Wilson is not,
although he died in 181 3. Mn Semple did his
onerous duty veiy creditably. He probably
hailed from Renfrewshire, the habitat of that
ancient family. Is there anything known of the
further life history of Arthur Semple ?
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
THE GALT FAMILY.
A correspondent in Baltimore writes as
follows : — I am interested in tracing out
the history of the Gaits of Eastern Virginia,
and am anxious to learn anything that mij^ht
prove of service in this research. There are
many difficulties in the way, owing to the
destruction during our Civil War of many of
the oldest records of Virginia. The first Gait
who lived in Virginia, so far as is now known,
was Samuel, who owned a large plantation not
very far distant from the proposed site of the
coming Jamestown Tercentenary Exposition.
Samuel Gait also had the trade of goldsmith, a
fact that must have been of great service in
those troublous times, and would seem not to
have had the same bearing on social position
then that it might have at the present day.
Samuel Gait was living on this estate of
" Strawberry Banks" in about 1735. My
descent from him in direct line is as follows :
Samuel Gait, I.; James Gait, II.; Alexander
Gait, III. ; William Richard Gait, IV. ; Rogers
Harrison Gait, V. ; Mary Meares Gait, VI.
The Gaits of Eastern Virginia have always
been known as one of the Scotch-Irish families
of the state. Doctor Dunlop, the friend of
John Gait, the novelist, in writing to my great-
grandfather's brother, Colonel Patrick Gait,
U.S. Army, in 1830, said that about 1680 two
brothers, William and John Gait, were banished
by order of the Privy Council because they were
Covenanters. One of them returned to Scot*
Vol. Vlll. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
149
land after the Revolution of t688, and was the
ancestor of John Gait, the novelist The other,
Doctor Dunlop says, was the ancestor of my
great-great-uncle. Colonel Gait.
In the Royal Proclamation of 1685, William
Gait of the Walkmill in Wark, and John Gait in
Gateside, were outlawed. Their names are
given under the heading, " Stewartown." In
the summer of the same year, John Gait was
banished and sent to Port Royal, Catolina, in
the ship of Captain Gibson. These last two items
I learn from Woodrow, and from other histories.
Doctor Dunlop, in his letter to Colonel CJalt,
says that these two brothers were banished along
with Lord Cardross. I find that this colony of
Port Royal was the Colony of Lord Cardross.
In 1686 the colony was broken up by the
Spaniards, and we do not know what became of
John Gait. In his "Literary Life,' John Gait,
the novelist, says that he doubts not that this
John Gait was the ancestor of Colonel Gait. If
this be so, however, we do not know what became
of the family between this time and the time
that we find Samuel Gait living in Virginia, in
about 1730. We are inclined to believe that
John Gait left Carolina and went to Ireland,
because there is a strong tradition in the family
that our ancestor fought in Londonderry, and
because one tradition asserts that the family
came to Virginia direct from Coleraine. In this
case Samuel must have been the son of John,
and must have been the first one to come to
Virginia.
The late Sir Alexander Gait of Canada
claimed relationship with my grandfather. Sir
Alexander was the son of the author, John Gait,
of the Ayrshire family.
SCOTTISH SAINTS AND K.\LENDARS.
Alexander Arbuthnot (2nd S.,VIII., 139).
—Mr. Wilson's note under this name might
easily have been amplified. It belonged to two
persons who were contemporaries :
1. The Printer^ a good account of whom is to
be found in Dickson and Edmond's "Annals of
Scottish Printing '' (pp. 271-326). The ascription
to him of Forfarshire as his birthplace seems to
be made on slender grounds. Say Dickson and
Edmond : — " Robert Chambers (* Domestic
Annals,' Vol. I., p. loi) remarks that Arbuthnet's
sureties were ' all Forfarshire gentlemen— a
fact arguing that Arbuthnet himself was of the
same district ' " (p. 286).
2. T/ie Poet^ who was better known as a
divine, and Principal of King^s College, Aberdeen.
See McCrie's " Life of Melville," ^«j«>//.
* - .-.:5 VAN.. Odd.
It is interesting to look over the series of
Scottish Kalendars which Bishop A. P. Forbes
collected, and try to see who the saints were who
got a hold upon the popular favour, and were in
the best sense national. Those who are ac-
quainted with the dedications of the old parish
churches will appreciate the respect paid to the
familiar names, and will feel their hearts warm
toward the ancient worthies whose names are
treasured up in " Tanton " Fair, Laurencekirk ;
" Paddy" Fair, Fordoun ; "Truel " Fair, Kenneth-
mont; "Cowan "Fair, Turriff; "Donnan"Fair,
Auchterless ; " Sinsairs " Fair, Culsalmond ;
" Simmerees'' Fair, Keith ; " DusUn" Fair, Old
Deer ; and many such. We have no such
treasure in America with all our multi-million-
aires, who are men of yesterday, and may be in
The Tombs, New York City, to-morrow. By
tabulating and comparing the Kalendars, I have
sought to gather out those saints who have a
recognised place in the commemorations, and
to pass over those names which do not appear
to suggest any Scottish tradition.
January — 7, Kentigema ; 8, Nathalan ; 9,
Fillan ; 13, Mungo; 15, Maur; 16, Fursey ; 21,
Wynnin ; 29, Woloc or Makuolok ; 30, Glastian
or Macglastian ; 31, Modoc.
February — i, Bryde ; 3, Blase ; 4, Modan ; 7,
Ronan ; 17, Finnan, and Fintan ; 18, Colman.
March — i, Minnan, and Marnan ; 2, Cedde ;
4, Adrian ; 6, Baldred, and Fridolin ; 8, Duthac ;
10, Kessog or Mackessog, and Hemelin; 11,
Constantine ; 13, Kennoch ; 16, Boniface; 17,
Patrick ; 18, Minnan ; 20, Cuthbert ; 30, Ole
or Olaus.
April — I, Gilbert ; 5, Tigernac ; 6, Bertham
or Berchan ; 7, Sigenius ; 13. Guinoch ; 15,
Mund ; 16, Magnus, Mans, or Mann ; 1 7, Donnan.
May — I, Asaph, and Ultan ; 8, Gibrian ; 10,
Gordian ; i r, Congall ; 16, Brandan ; 17, Cathan. :
18, Conwal ; 29, David; 31, Petronilla.
June — 4, Fothad ; . 5, Boniface : 6, Colm,
Colmos, or Columba ; 8, Syra ; 9, Columba ;
10, Margaret; 12, Ternan ; 15, Carnoc ; 19,
Margaret ; 23, Ethelred ; 25, Molonach, Moluoc,
or Moloc.
y«/K— I, Serf or Servan ; 3, Gutbagon; 6,
Palladius ; 8, Kilian ; 15, Nine Maidens, and
Plechelm ; 1 8, Thenna or Theuna ; 29, Sampson ;
29, Ole or Olaus.
August — 10, Blane ; 16, Rock ; 17, I nan or
Ernin ; 24, Erchad ; 27, Malrube or Ruffus ; 30,
Fiacre ; 31, Aidan.
.Scpt€7nber—\^,G\\^% or Egidius ; 9, Queran or
Kyran ; 15, Mirin ; 16, Ninian ; 22, Lolan ; 23,
ISO
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[April, 1907
Theunan or Adamnan : 25, Barre or Finbar ; 28.
Conuall and Manchan.
October — 8, Triduane ; 1 1 , Kenicus or Kannich ;
13, Conwallen or Congan, Fintan or Fincane,
and Findoca ; 15, Colniau ; 16, Gall : 17, Rule
or Regulus ; 18, Monon ; 25, Marnok ; 26, Bean ;
29, Kenneir or Kennera ; 30, Tarkin or Tala-
rican ; 31, Fillan.
Navetfiber — i, Beye; 2, Maura; 3, Englate;
6, Willibrord; 8, Moroc and Gervad; 12, Machar,
and Livin ; 13, Kilian and Devinick ; 14, Middan,
Modan, or Medan ; 15, Machute ; 16, Margaret ;
17, Fergus or Tergusius ; % Middan or Medana ;
20^ Maxence ; 21, Columba ; 27, Ode or Odda.
December — i, Eloy or Eligius ; 2, Ethernan ;
12, Finnian or Findan ; 14, Drostan ; 16, Bean ;
18, Manere ; 22, Ethemase, and Mayota ; 23,
Caran or Karran ; 26, Mofutacus or Fotin.
James Gammack, LL.D.
West Hartford; Conn.
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EDINBURGH
PERIODICAL LITERATURE (V., 20, etc)
The Origin of Place-Name Psalm Tunes.
— This is a feature of psalm tunes which has not
been noted, so far as I am aware. We are all
familiar with the tunes which bear the names of
" St Kilda,'' " Dundee," " Perth," etc. Mr. W.
Milne Gibson, in his recently published book,
"The Old Scottish Precentor," notes at least ^\t,
Aberdeenshire place-name tunes which came
into use "about the middle of the i8th century"
(page 51). These are " Fintray," " Monymusk,"
" Kintore," " Rayne," and " Paradise"— this latter
word being a local term for a certain district of
Monymusk. Now, a simple, interesting question
arises here : Why were these parish names
selected as psalm-tune names in preference to
others ? This difficulty seems to be explained
by the fact that an ex-soldier, Thomas Shannon,
began a reform movement in the art of " sacred
music" in Monymusk in 1760-1761 (see "Pillars
of Bon- Accord," Part I., p. 41). It would appear
that he had also taught classes in those parishes
which I have mentioned, because, as Mr. Gibson
says, "when the new . . . West Church
[of Aberdeen] was opened on 9th November,
1755) ^^ ^"^ ^ band of his pupils — mostly farm
servant lads and lasses from Kintore, Kemnay,
Fintray, and Monymusk — led the praise," etc.
(page 27). Stand Sure.
The Family of Gray.— It may interest
genealogists to know that Mr. Alexander Gray,
Ibrox, Glasgow, is at work on an account of tHe
family of Gray, because one branch of the family
is closely connected with Schivas, near Gight.
Another branch held Skibbo Castle now owned
by Mr. Carnegie.
(Continued from 2nd S., Vol VIIL.p. J.:*J.J
[Supplementary. ]
1764. The Edinburgh Advertiser. No. i. January
3, 1764. 8 pp., large 4to, 3 cols, to page. '* Edin-
burgh : printed by Alexander Donaldson and John
Reid, and sold at their printing house in the
Castlehill, where advertisements and commissions
are taken in. Advertisements and commissions
are also taken in at A. Donaldson's shop in Edin-
burgh, and also at his shop near Norfolk Street, in
the Strand, London." No. 2 gave the price as 2^d.
The opening number fully sets forth the reasons
why the Advertiser was undertaken :
" The altanttions that took pbice in October ImI relat-
ing to the coune of the puftU, suggested the Idea of the
expediency and utility of a newspaper calculated in
some measuhe to correspond to the fteqaency of the
Iiosts. By the late regulations there are five porta
from London, viz., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Friday, Saturday, on all of which days newepapers may
be received from the metropolis ; but on two of them,
viz., Tuesday and JFHday, there are no newspapeca
published in Edinburgh. ... At the desire, there-
fore, of seversl gentlemen, merchants and others, tlie
editors have been induced to publish the Bdintwur^gk
Advertiser,'*
The journal was accordingly published on Tues-
days and Fridays. With quite unusual uniformity,
the same days of publication were maintained to
the last. As to the general scope of the paper,
the projectors say : —
" Besides what are properly called news, the Editori
will give tlie utmost attention to whatever nq t anl a
religion, trade, manufactures, agriculture, and pcriiMca
in Greut Britain and the Colonies thereof. . . .
Nor tihall the article of entertainment, fat which there
is so large a demand, be unregarded, fissan on useful,
Ingenious, and entertaining subjects, both in prose and
verse, and of moderate extent, will be thankfully
received and readily Inserted."
The title page of the first half-yearly volume bore
the motto, which appears to have been an Edin-
burgh favourite:
" Quictiuid agimt homines, votum, temor. ira, volt^ttas,
Uaudla, discursuB nostri est farrago libelll. "
It also had the imprint: *' Printed by Alexander
Donaldson and John Reid, for Alexander Donald-
son." Reid's name, however, disappeared with
Na 67, Tuesday, August 21, 1764.
Alexander Donaldson had already made his
name well known as the purveyor of cheqs reprints.
By the Act of 1709, copyright lasted for 14 yean
only, although the London booksellers and printers,
acting on what they considered co mm on law,
claimed perpetuity in literary property. Donald-
son disregarded their opinion, and flooded the
market with cheap copies of volumes whose legal
copyright had expired. The situation invoMd
several important law suits, but Donaldson olti*
VOL.VI1I. 2ncl Series.] SCOTT/S// NOTES AND QUERIES
15^
mately got a final decision in his favour. The
contest, however, did not leave the adventurous
Edinburgh printer scatheless. In the year before
he began the Advertiser^ he received the censure
of Dr. Johnson, who laughingly declared him to be
** no better than Robin Hood, who robbed the rich
in order to give to the poor." Croker indexed him
as ** Donaldson, Alexander, the piratical book-
seller.'* With such an enterprising printer and
publisher it is not astonishing that the Advertiser
made its way, even although it had the Courant
and the Mercury as rivals. In beginning his second
volume (No. 53), Donaldson had the satis&ction
of intimating that
"The design was well relished by the public, snd a
numerous subecription wu obtained. . . we have
recelred letters from our correspondents and readers
in Edinbnrsh and almost every county in Scotland that
our labours have not been unacceptable."
Exactly ten years after the start of the paper,
its control passed into the hands of Donaldson's
son, Alexander, then a youth of twenty-one, and
designed to leave his name unalterably associated
with Edinburgh, through his bequest of the money
that founded Donaldwn's Hospital. His name
appears in the imprint, for the first time, in the
first week of January, 1774.* It was during the
son's proprietorship of the journal that the most
stirring events of its history took place. In 1792
a contemporary referred to it as '* tne least political
in Edinburgh," filling its space with "historical
affairs" and leaving little room for *' political
subjects." Donaldson, however, did not escape
scatheless from the troubles of the time. Scotland
was moved to its centre by the sedition scares that
were abroad, and the Advertiser office fell under
the suspicion oithe authorities:
"▲boat the year 1794, a most vexatious circumstance
occurred. Some of the workmen in the printing-office
took it into their heads to print what was called a
seditious handbill, and to scatter it among the
Inhabitants of the Oowgate and other low sheets,
telling them it was how to get cheap sugar. The
dangerous missile was traced to the AavertUer office,
and it was a grievous blow to Mr. Dcmaldson to have a
magistrate come to his immaculate premises to seize
the printers of a seditious paper. The delinquents
were not treated very harshly, but their connection
with the printing-bouse was at an end." f
The international complications of the time made
the people eager for news, and Donaldson did his
best to supply the want*. He
"decidedly adopted the politics of Pitt and Dunda^,
and advocated their cause with no great delicacy
towards those who differed from them. . . . The
BMnburffh Adoertiwr was carried on by very inexpen-
sive means. No liberal fees were paid to reporters and
correspondents; whatever news came by chance or
An Interesting MS. note is found on the cop^ for January
3, 1786l In the volume I have examined. It throws a light
upon the way the expensive newspapers of the time passed
from hand to hand. It reads : "Gentlemen, the newspapers
Di wk be kept clean, and read as soon as possible, for they
are to be returned to Sdinbursh again, or we are to have
BO more of them. They are to be sent to W. M'Kenzie."
t *' KfSmioisoenoes of a Printer in the AdverUeer offloe.'*
•^L eitun B<ntr, February, 1867.
oonld be estcacted ftvm the London newspapers, was
sufficient tor the Korthem provincial appetite. . . .
The Mortdntf ChrvnAdBy conducted by Mr. Perry, and
often oontauiing articles by Mr. Fox and the whig
party, played an important part among the Journals en
the m^ropolis, but was too stiong fOr the A4i99rtiur^
and never entered its offipe to dilute or modify its aati-
Jacobinism. This was the temper of the general
public : hatred and fear of the Fftncb predominated^
and the BdMburgk AdventSmr pfoqiered greatly." *
Mr. Norrie gives an amusing illustration of this
Edinburgh lutred towards their ancient allies.
He 9ay% that Donaldson sometimes increased the
number of the enemy who fell in battle by ten
times, and adds that ** at the close of the war it
was computed that the Advertiser had killed more
Frenchmen than there was population in Francel'*
The paper was also fortunate in the days of
publication, for it frequently anticipated its con-
temporaries. News 01 the Battle of the Nile came
on a Friday, and Donaldson jocularly declared that
he had special arrangements with Pitt *'to favour
him \vith early and authentic intelligence."
In 1819 some change in the proprietorship
seemed pending. On January 29 of that year the
imprint contamed only the words *' Published
by James Donaldson. Price jd," On Friday,
March 10, this was changed to ** Printed by Claud
Muirhead" — an imprint vriiich, on Tuesday,
November 21, was amplified into "Printed and
published by Claud Muirhead.'* The title page of
the first half volume of i8ao contained the longer
imprint. The change of proprietorship from
Donaldson to M airhead involved no drastic
alteration in the conducting of the paper, for the
new owner was the son of one who had "long been
the principal manager and superintendent of the
office." The Muirheads retained the property to
the end.
26 Circus Drive,
Glasgow.
W. J. COUPBR.
Y Mackay.— In the recently published work,
titled " The Book of Mackay/' the author says
that "V represents "Aoidh," the genitive of
"Aodh," which he thinks comes from ** Aed," a
Celtic word supposed to mean *' the fiery or im-
petuous one." Other forms of "Aoidh** are "lye, '
'*Eyg," "Aytho," "Athyn," «Eth,»«Heth/» **Head."
He regards '* Hugh " as a different name, equi-
valent to the Gaelic *' Huistean,'' which is made
in Latin Hugo, while "Aodh" is in Latin "Odo"
or ^' Odoneus." Another reason for differentiat-
ing "Aodh" and "Hugh" is, he says, that in
various instances two brothers may he found in
the same family, where the one is called "Aodh**
and the other " Hugh."
John Milne, LL.D*
Ibkt,
152
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[April, 1907
I >i.^ I Ja^a^t*
JAMES SINCLAIR, ARBORICULTURIST.
T^e late James Grant, novelist, in his last
published book, ** Scottish Soldiers of Fortune,"
which is disfigured with many inaccuracies and
misprints, yet containing curious and out-of-the-
way information, alludes, in his section ** Scots in
Russia," to James Sinclair, the Scottish landscape
gardener, who resided for over thirteen years on
the estate of Prince WoronzoiT,in the Crimea, and
laid out those gardens which were the admiration
alike of the British and French allied forces
during the great Crimean War of 1854-5. As
Sinclair finished his career in Melbourne fully a
quarter of a century ago, a brief biography of the
man may not be thought unworthy of a niche in
Scottish Notes and Queries^ being in all probability
known to only a limited number.
He was a ** Morayshire loon," and when very
ypung was employed at Altyre House, near
Forres, the seat of Sir William Gordon Cumming.
We get a glimpse of him then from an autobio-
graphical sketch contributed to the Gardener's
Chronicle by the late Mir. Donald Beaton, the
scientific horticulturist, famed for his experiments
m dahlia cultivation. He stated that when he
was foreman of the Altyre Gardens there was a
^^ ^f g^us there, named Sinclair, who was
either drawing figures, scribbling rhymes, or
playing on the violin. The latter acquirement
secured to the boy the friendship of one of the
Baronet's sons, Ronaleyn Gordon Cumming,
afterwards famed as a lion hunter in Africa, but
then a fine, high-spirited lad, who frequently
pleaded with his mother for a dance m the
gloamin', and Jamie Sinclair was the musician
on such occasions, for Lady Cumming could not
refuse the request of her gsdlant boy.
This brought Sinclair under the surveillance
of her Ladyship, and she had him educated and
trained as a regular gardener, and his progress
was rapid. He went to London and remamed four
years m.Kew Gardens under Mr. T. A. Knight,
the president of the Royal Horticultural Society.
(Sinclair's skill in drawing and colouring of plants
.was freely recognised, but his ability also as
a landscape gardener brought him still more into
"notice. In 1838, when Prince Woronzoff applied
to Mr. Knight for a capable person to improve
his Crimean estate, Sinclair was selected for the
position. He resided there for nearly fourteen
^ears and planted about 1,000 acres as vineyards
and fruit avenues, and made such use of his
passion for arboriculture as to make him renowned
over Russia. It should be remembered that the
Crimea was originally settled as a Greek colony,
and still bore upon its ^surface the -relics and
evidences of an extinct but superior civilisation.
Sinclair conserved whatever retnains of Grecian
art were upon the Prince's domain with pious
care, and made them effective as foils to his
gardening improvements.
His fame ultimately reached the Czar Nicholas,
who sent for him and consulted him anent im-
provements in St. Petersburg. The Emperor
was so pleased with Sinclair's ingenious sugges-
tions that he decorated him with the Imperial
Order of St. Anne, and gave him a passport to
travel free from one end of the Russian Empire
to the other^ and of this boon James Sinclair
freely availed himself, visiting every botanical
garden in that vast kingdom, and taking notes
thereat which he intended to publish. He also
penetrated into Austria and Prussia for the same
purpose.
At the close of 1851 he returned to Britain and
made a lengthened sojourn in Morayshire, leaving
a manuscript volume of poems in Elgin at the
local newspaper office ; but his forte did not lie
in the weaving of verse, although he thought
otherwise. He was in treaty with a London
publisher to have his " Tour of the Continental
Gardens " printed, but before he had fairly written
out his press "copy," hostilities had begun between
Russia and Turkey, which eventuated in the
great Crimean War, in which Great Britain,
France, and Sardinia espoused the cause of
Turkey against the Muscovite foe.
As James Sinclair was the only Briton who
knew intimately about Sebastopol, the. Russian
Ambassador ere he quitted England was afraid
that " the grand old gardener " .would divulge to
the British Government what he had seen and
learnt of the great fortress ; but Sinclair was not
built that way — in other words, he had not been
long enough in London to acquire the polish of a
suave and hypocritical scoundrel He was a noble
Scot ; and having served his patrons in Russia
for years, he disdained to act as an informer against
them. He kept his knowledge to himself, re-
jecting alike threats and entreaties and stale
platitudes about patriotism and such-like bosh,
which the wily Southron often too successfully
uses to entrap the credulous Scot. In con-
sequence of the turmoil caused by the war, his
projected book on continental gardens was never
published, nor the companion volume of verse,
" Musings on the Shores of the Black Sea.*'
At the close of 1854, Sinclair emigrated to
the Colony of Victoria, and was immediately
employed in Melbourne as a landscape gardener.
He laid out the Fitzroy (jardens there, and was
appointed curator, residing in a cottage on the
grounds. He published, in 1 855, the "Gardenei-'s
Magazine and Journal of Rural Economy,'^ and,
in 1857, the, "Australian Sacred Lyre," which
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
153
was severely criticised in the Athenaum^ a well-
known literary periodical. . His verse, while con-
taining just sentiments and agreeable images,
with a keen perception of the beautiful, is very
unequal, and, in many instances, unworthy of
print But he would not forsake the muse : he
had an ingrained hankering after poetical fame,
which always eluded his grasp. He kept on
rhyming to the last, for a printer acquaintance
of mine, who used to scribble versified stuff,
ocjcasionally visited the old man in his cottage
to do a little tinkering of his crude rhymes. On
such occasions Sinclair supplied the printer,
who was a showy and pretentious Southron,
with spiritual inspirafion in the guise of
capacious doses of" Long John" and the ** Dew
of Ben Nevis," so much so that the loquacious
and bibulous comp. became speedily obfuscated.
The fellow could always get "a drink on the
cheap" when so inclined — and that was frequently
the case with him— by calling and inquiring
about how the poems were progressing, .\stute
dodger that — and he used to gasconade after-
wards how he fooled the old fellow ; but — yes,
but the whisky was prime, although the verse
was primitive. However, Sinclair published no
more poems, and his MS. was, I presume, sold
as waste paper. When passing through the
Gardens on my way to work, I often saw the old
man, with one foot resting on a spade, and in a
contemplative attitude, having a dreamy and far-
away look — probably indulging in a reverie of
old times when settled by the shores of the
Euxine Sea. I certainly would have liked a
chat with him, and willingly would have essayed
the task to marshal his hobbling verse into
decent order, but the demands of business and
the want of a formal introduction — that intoler-
able shackle of modern civilisation — restrained
any advances on my part. He died at his house
in the Fitzroy Gardens on the 29th April, 1881,
.aged 72. His ablest publication in Australia
was "The Beauties of Nature, and how far they
transcend those of Art," a thesis drawn up by a
practical expert.
There was not even a paragraph in the Mel-
bourne papers when Sinclair made his final exit. ,
"The best o' fowk are never missed'' — besides, he I
was only a Scotchman ! I wrote an account of
him, which appeared in the Coltingwood
Observer, conducted by Mr. James Macalpine
Tait, J. P., son of the famous Glasgow Radical,
John Tait, editor of the Liberator, who died in
1837, and had his elegy written by Sandy
Rodger. Mr. Tait is an aged journalist now,
and a week ago miidca valedictory address to
his readers, after 50 years' labour with the pen.
- l'kAoW:.noi whelbe»^ there i^a stone to Sinclair's
memory in the Melbourne Cemetery ; but the
Fitzroy Gardens will remain a lasting memorial
of his skill and ability as an arboriculturist.
Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
Old Parr.— When visiting the Royal Picture
Gallery of Dresden iii 1902, 1 saw about twenty
portraits by . the celebrated Sir Anthony Van
Dyck, and amongst them one of Old Parr. I was
amused to read in the excellent catalogue (500
pp.), compiled by Dr. Julius Hubner, this curious
blunder : — " Portrait of the Scotchman, Thomas
Parr in his 151st year." How the Shropshire
centenarian came to be described as a Scot is a
puzzle for the ingenious in such matters. A note
stated that the picture was in the collection
of Charles I., and after changing hands several
times it was secured by Hyacinthe Rigaud
(died 1743), who was styled the "French Van
Dyck," and he sold it to Count Wackerbarth
for the Elector of Saxony. Van Dyck, it-may be
remembered, married a ^Scottish lady, Mary
Ruthven, a descendant of the Earls of Gowrie.
Alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
Gordon as a Place Name in London. —
The name of Gordon is extensively used in
Bloomsbury (the Bedford estate), the 6th Duke
of Bedford having married in 1803, as his second
wife, T^ady Georgiana Gordon, the sister of the
last Duke of Gordon. The best known part of
the estate in which the name is used is Gordon
Square. In it stands Gordon Hall, which is the
name of a girls' school in connection with the
Apostolic Church : while Gordon Place and
Gordon Street run into it. There is also a
Gordon Street in the City Road. In Francis
Street, which runs parellel with Tottenham
Court Road, a new block of buildings is called
Gordon Mansions. Then there is Huntley Street
running off Bedford Square. The name Cosmo
was introduced into the Gordon family through
the second Duke's friendship with Cosmo de
Medici, and is used to name a lane connecting
Queen Square with Southampton Row, and quite
recently a big hotel called the Cosmo Hotel has
been erected at the comer of the lane. There
is a Gordon Place in Campden Grove, but Mr.
E. V. Lucas, who lives there, does not know how
it came by the name. There is a Gordon
(}rove at Camberwell, a Gordon Road at
Peckham, and another- (iordon Road at Stoke
Newington. (lOrdon House Road runs from
Highgate Road to Gospel Oak Station.
154
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[April, 1907
AnERDEENAND INVERNESS MAIL ARRANGE-
MENTS OF 1822.— According to a MS. at the
end of an ** Aberdeen Almanac," that year the
mail arrangements were as follows : —
Dispatched from Aberdeen ... 5 o p.m.
Arrives at Oldmeldrum 7 10 ,,
„ „ New Stables .... S 50 ,,
,, „ Banff 10 28 „
Allowed for Coach business ... o 10 mins.
Arrives at CuUen 12 18 a. m.
„ „ Fochabers i 46 „
„ Elgin 2 51 „
„ „ Fochabers 4 16 ,,
,, ,, P.O. Inverness ... 7 46 „
I hour and 14 mins. allowed for making up North
mail.
Return from Inverness to Aberdeen.
Dispatch from Inverness . . . . 4 30 a.m.
Arrives at Nairn 6 30 „
„ „ Forres 7 50 „
Allowance for Breakfast at Forres . . 20 mins.
Arrives at Elgin 9 35 a.m.
„ „ Fochabers 10 38 „
„ • ,, Cullen 12 6 p.m.
„ „ Banff I 46 „
Allowance for- Dinner at Banff ... 25 mins.
Arrives at New Stables . . . . 3 49 p.m.
„ „ Oldmeldrum .... 5 34 „
,, ,, P.O. Aberdeen ... 7 44 „
Aberdeen. Robert Murdoch.
Aberdeen Waterman— A "Trail.' -Before '
water was brought into the town from the wells
about Gilcomston Dam in I767,a man went about
with two trees — like the trams of a cart — with the
ends trailing upon the ground, with cross bars,
and a large barrel, which he filled with water
and earned to families who were to wash or
brew. In the winter time he and his horse cut
a queer figure. He had a large, coarse cloth
hocKi that covered his head and shoulders,
and the horse's hoofs were generally full of
icicles, which rattled as he went along at a very
slow pace. He was mostly employed m the night
time, and slept all day. His pay was only id.
per barrel, but he always got some broken meat
The mark on a road made by such a conveyance
was called a " trail." This term used to occur
frequently in novels in which the Red Indians
of N(»th America were introduced. After
European settlers came, the Indians got
possession of some of their horses by stealing
them or catching runaways. Having no
conveyances, they harnessed them to two long
slender trees on which they placed their
wigwams and young children when journeying
from place to place, and the tracks they made
were called " trails.''
John Milne, LL.D.
THE LATE DR. CRAMOND'S
PUBLICATIONS.
Some time ago the late Dr. Cramond ex-
pressed his belief that the only complete sets of
his publications were to be found in the Aber-
deen University Library and in the Advocates
Library, Edinburgh. We shall be glad to learn
if any items have escaped the compiler of the
appended list.
1880. Annals of Cullen : being extracts from re-
cords relating to the affairs of the Royal Burgh of
Cullen, 960-1879. Banff: printed at the Banff-
shire Journal office. 1880. (6J x 4 in. Pp. 38.
Some copies on large paper, 8x4^ in.)
1882. Reminiscences of the old town of Cullen,
1 81 2- 18, with plan of the town. [Quotations.]
Aberdeen: John Adam, 73 Union Street CuUen:
Geo. Scivwright. 1882. (8^ x si in. Pp. [4] +
5i+[i]. Three folding plans. Printed by G.
Cornwall & Sons.]
1883. The church and churchyard of CuUen.
Printed for the author, and sold by John Adam,
73 Union Street, Aberdeen, and G. Seivwright,
Cullen. 1883. (8J x si in. Pp. viii. + 168. Five
photographic plates. Printed by G. Cornwall
and Sons.
1885. The church and churchyard of Deskford.
Banff: printed at the Banffshire Journal office.
1885. (6Jx4in. Pp. 37 + [i]-)
1885. The church and churchyard of Rathven.
Banff : printed at the Banffshire Journal office.
1885. (6i X 4 in. Pp. 135 +[!]•)
1885. The presbytery of Fordyce. Banff : printed
at the Banffshire Journal office. 1885. (6^ x 4
in. Pp. 74 + 4 [reviews].)
1886. The church and churchyard of Boyndie.
Banff: printed at the Banffshire Journal office.
1886. (64 X 4 in. Pp. 79 + [i] + 4 [reviews]. )
1886. The church and churchyard of Fordyce.
Banff: printed at the Banffshire Journal office.
1886. (6^x44 in. Pp. 115 -h[i] + 4 [reviews].)
1886. The church and churchyard of Ordiquhill.
Banif : printed at the Banffshire Journal office.
1886. (6 X 4i in. Pp. 74. )
1887. Inventory ol the charters, burgh court
books, books of sasine, etc., belonging to the
bargh of Cullen, deposited within the Council
chamber of the burgh, 1887; together with a
copy of the charter of the burgh, and translation
thereof; copy of the covenant of CuUen, and
perambulation oi the marches of the burgh.
Banff: printed at the Banffshire Journal office.
(7I X5 m. Pp. i9+[i], and coloured cover with
title.)
1887. Inventory of the charters, bip^h court
Vol. Vi 1 1.2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
155
books, books of sasines, etc., belonging to the
burgh of Banff, deposited within the council
chamber of the burgh. 1887. Banff: printed
at the Banffshire Journal office. (7x4^ in.
Pp. 8, and coloured cover with title.)
1887. The plundering of Cullen House by the
rebels: an incident m the Rebellion of 1745-46.
Narrated by eyewitnesses of the plundering.
[Quotation.] Printed for the compiler by W. F.
Johnston, Buckie. . 1887. (8^x5^ in. Pp. iii.—
xii. (misprinted xi. ) + 25 + [3]. )
[1888] The annals of Cullen : being extracts from
records relating to the affairs of the royal burgh
of Cullen, 961-1887. Second edition. Printed
by W. F. Johnston, Buckie. (Reprinted from
Banffshire Advertiser. 7 x 4J in. Pp. [4] +127
1888. Illegitimacy in Banffshire: facts, figures,
and opinions. Reprint^ from the Banffshire
Journal of January 10, 17, 24, and 31, February
7 and 14, 1888. Banff: Banffshire Journal office.
MDcccLXXXviii. (7^x44 in. Pp.74.)
1889. The penny guide to Cullen. Published by
George Seivwright, The Square, Cullen. 1889.
(4I X 3^ in. Pp. 48 (27 — 48 advertisements), and
folding' map. Printed by G. Cornwall & Sons,
Aberdeen. )
[189 ?] The ancient office of Mair. [Not seen.]
1890. The church of Speymouth. Elgin : stereo-
typed and printed at the Couratit and Courier
ofhce. 1880. (7X4jin. Pp. 97 4 [i].)
1890. History of the Bede House of Rathvcn.
Buckie: printed at the Banffshire Advertiser
office. 1890. (7 X 4$ in. Pp. 14, one plate, and
coloured cover with title.)
1891. The annals of Banff. Vol. I. Aberdeen :
printed for the New Spalding Club, mdcccxci.
(10X7J in. Pp. xvi. + 385-»-[i]; nine plates.
Printed by Milne & Hutchison.
1892. The castle and the lords of Balveny. With
illustrations. Elgin : printed at the Courant and
Courier office. 1892. (7x4^ in. Pp. 43+[i];
illustrations in the text.)
1892. Illegitimacy in Banffshire. Paper read on
9th August in the Economic section of the British
Association at their meeting in Edinburgh in 1892.
. . . Reprinted from the Banffshire Journal
of August 9 and 16, 1892. (7x4.^ in. Pp. 24.)
1S92. The penny guide to Cullen. Second edi-
tion. Published by George Seivwright, The
Square, Cullen. 1892. (4ix3jin. Pp. 44 + [30];
advertisements, coloured cover with title, and one
plate. Printed at the Advertiser office, Buckie.)
1893. '^^ annals of Banff. Vol. II. Aberdeen :
printed for the New Spalding Club. MDCCCXcni.
(10 x 7f in. Pp. xii. +498; eleven pUtes. Printed
by Milne & Hutchiaon.)
[1893] The family of Milne in Banff. Extracted
from the *' Annals of Banff." With notes by
G. C. M. (9^ X 7^ in. Pp. 10.)
1893. The making of a Banffshire burgh : being
an account of the early history of Macduff.
Banff: printed at the Banffshire Jountal office.
1 893. (6^ X 4 in. Frontispiece + pp. [2] + 40. )
1894. The annals of Fordo\in : being extracts
from letters relating to the affairs of the parish
of Fordoun from the earliest times to the year
1894. Montrose : printed at the Standard office.
1894. (7I X 4I in. Pp. [2] -I- 108 -f- [2], with folding
map.)
1894. The Milnes of Banff and neighbourhood:
being a paper read to the Banffshire Field Club
on 8th December, 1893. [Motto.] Banff: printed
at the Banffshire Journal office. 1894. (6 J x 4
in. Pp. 20. and coloured cover with title.)
1894. The Milnes of Banff and neighbourhood.
Second edition. 1894. (^i><4 '^^' Pp*2i+[i],
and coloured cover with title. )
1894. O" Stra'finla top: a guide to Auchinblae
and Fordoun district. Dundee : printed by John
Leng & Co., Bank Street. 1894. (6x4} in.
Pp. 48 (36—48 advertisements) ; three full-size
plates included in paging.)
1895. On Scots drink. Elgin: printed at the
Courant and Courier office. 1895. (7X4J in.
Pp. 42.)
1895. The parish of Grange : Lecture delivered in
the Parish Church of Grange. Reprinted from
Banffshire Journal. Printed at the Banffshire
Journal office for the author. 1895. (7x4} in.
Pp. 34.)
1896. The guide to Cullen. [Quotations.] Third
edition— rewritten. Published by G. Seivwright,
The Square, Cullen. 1896. (4JX3J in. Pp.
72 + 44 [advertisements]. Four plates. Printed
at the Advertiser office, Buckie.
1896. Life in Elgin 350 years ago. Elgin : printed
at the Courant and Courier office. 1896. (7x4^
in. Pp. 29 + [i].)
1896. On Scots drink. Second edition. Elgin :
printed at the Coitrant and Courier office. 1896.
(7x45 in. Pp. 35 +[!].)
[1896] The church and parish of Bellie. Reprinted
from the Elgin Courant and Courier. Price six-
pence. (7x4^ in. Pp. 5i+[i].)
[1896] The church of Aberdour. Printed at the
Fraserburgh Advertiser ofUct. (7ix4jin. Pp.
55 + [i], and coloured cover with titl:.)
1897. The court books of the Regality of Grant:*
a true statement of their contents. Banff:
Kinted at the Banffshire Journal office. 1897.
ice four pence. (7 x 4} in. Pp. 28, and coloured
cover with title. )
* Mlq>rliited ** Nairn." in S. N. 4: Q., XI., 111.
156
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[April, 1907
1897. Extracts from the records of the Kirk Session
of Elgin, 1584-1779, with a brief record of the
readers, ministers, and bishops, 1567-1897. Re-
printed trom Elgin Courant and Courier. Price
one shilling and sixpence. Elgin : printed at the
Courant and Courier office. 1897. (7x4^ in.
Pp. [2]-f 3594 [2], and coloured cover with title.)
1897. Guide to Grantown and district. With
map of the district by Messrs. W. & A. K.
Johnston, Edinburgh. Price three pence. Dun-
. dee: John Leng & Co., printers and lithographers,
Bank Street. 1897. (6^ x 4 in. Map as frontis-
piece + pp. 48 (31 — 48 advertisements); three full-
page plates included in paging. )
[1897] '^hc church of Keith. Reprinted from the
Banffshire Herald^ Keith. Price sixpence. (7 x 4I
in. Pp. 95 + [i])
1898. The church of Grange. Reprinted from the
Banffshire Herald^ Keith. Price nine pence.
1898. Keith : printed by John Mitchell, Mid
Street. (7x4^ in. Pp. 141 +[i], and coloured
cover with title.)
1898. Municipal life in Elgin in the sixteenth
century: bemg extracts from the burgh and
head court book of the royal burgh of Elgin,
1570-1585. Elgin : printed at the Courant and
Courier office. 1898. (7X4J in. Pp. 5i+[i].)
1898. The truth about George Wishart, the
martyr. Montrose: printed at the Standard
office. High Street. 1898. (7x42 in. Pp. 18.)
1899. Old memories: a walk in the churchyard
of Cullen. [Motto.] Reprinted from Banffshire
Journal. Printed at the Banffshire Journal
office for the author. 1899. (7x4^ in. Pp.
3i+[i].)
[1899] The church and priory of Urquhart. Re-
printed from the Elgin Courant and Courier.
Price one shilling. 7x4! in. Pp. 71 +[i].)
1900. The church of Alves. Elgin : printed at the
Courant and Courier office. 1900. (7 x 4J in.
Pp. 118.)
1900. The churches of the parish oi St. Andrews,
Llanbryd. Price one shilling. Elgin : printed at
the Courant and Courier office. 1900. (7 x 4^
in. Pp. 109 + [i], and coloured cover with title.)
1900. Rothiemay house: being a paper read at a
meeting of the Banffshire Field Club on 12th
January, 1900. Banff: printed at the Banffshire
Journal office. 1900. (7 x 4^ in. Pp. 32, with
folding plate. )
.1901. Old Scottish land measures. Paper read
on 28th June, 1901, at the joint meeting in Banff
of the Northern Association of Literary and
Scientific Societies. Banff: printed at the Ban£-
shire Journal o^w, 1901. (7x4^ in. Pp.20.)
1902. Exhibition of bells in the Museum, Elgin,
from 23rd to 30th August, 1902. Elgin : Courant
and Courier office. 1902. (7 x 4} in. Pp. 16.)
1903. The church of Birnie. Elgin: printed at
the Courant and Courier office. 1903. (7x4$
in. Pp. 38, and coloured cover with title. )
1903. Elgin calendar for 1904. Issued on opening
of the Cooper Park, 19th August, 1903. Elgin :
printed at the Courant and Courier office.
(7I ^ 4f »"• PP' *0' )
1903. Extracts from the Diary of Alexander Brodie
oi Maine (1671-1676). Elgin : printed at the
Courant and Courier office. 1903. (7^x5 in.
Pp. 24, and coloured cover with title. )
1903. The hammermen of Banff. Banff; printed
at the Banffshire Journal office. 1903. (6 J x 4 J
in. Pp. 14, and coloured cover with title. )
1903. The records of Elgin, 1234-1800. Vol I.
Aberdeen : printed for the New Spalding Club.
MCMiii. (10 X 7j in. Pp. [12] -I- 509 -}-[i];
twenty-three plates. Printed by Milne and
Hutchison.)
1904. The annals of Cullen, 961-1904. [Third
edition.] Buckie: W. F. Johnston & Sons. 1904.
(8x3iin. Pp. 108.)
1904. Cullen in 1650: being a paper read to the
Cullen Literary Society on 21st January, 1904.
Banff: printed at the Banffshire Journal office.
1904. (74 X 5 in. Pp. 16, and coloured cover
with title.)
1904. Memoir of the family of Kings of Newmill.
(From the original MS. by Mr. Robert Young,
solicitor, Elgin, of date 1862, in the possession of
Colonel Leslie of Kininvie. Copied by W.
Cramond, LL.D., 1894.) Elgin: printed at the
Courant and Courier office. 1904. (7ix5 in.
Pp. 22, and coloured cover with title. )
1906. Extracts from the records of the Synod of
Moray. Price one shilling. Elgin: printed at
the Courant and Courier office. 1906. (7X4J
in. Pp. 220.)
1907. [In the Press.] Extracts from the minutes
of the Presbytery of Elgin. Reprinted from thie
Courant and Courier.
1907. [In the Press.] The records of Elgin.
Vol. n. New Spalding Club.
d^uerfes.
832. The Word "Pony." — It seems extremely
probable that this word (of which the earliest known
forms are the Scotch powny, potoney, pownie) re-
presents a hitherto undiscovered poulney, an adapta-
tion of the Old French pouletiet, a U%\}c fosU, dyminu-
Vol. VIII. and Series.^ SCOTTISH NOTES AN£> QUERIES
157
L *ii. -Ill
ttve of poulain^ polmn^ a foal, colt, regularly formed
on the late Latin pullanus^ itself a normal derivative
from the classical Latin pullus (Greek llu^Xos), cog-
nate with O. Tcut. folon-, whence our foaL Dr.
Murray, editor of the " New English Dictionary,"
is anxious to have quotations showing the earlier
spelling in poul- or pol- in order to make the origin
certain. It seems most probable that the form will
be found in Scottish documents. The earliest in-
stance known to Dr. Murray is dated iSth June,
1659, in the extracts from the diary attributed to
Andrew Hay of Craignethan, and published in
Notes and Queries, Ser. VI., VII., 61, 162, 263: —
*' After dinner I walked to the mosse and found that
the peats were not yet dry. I caused bring home I
the powny and stugged him. Thereafter I did read
a little on the litle french book against melancholy
[" Reveile matin contre la melancholic " (ibid. 62)],
because my spirit was sad.'* Dr. Murray will es-
teem it a favour if quotations (with full references)
are sent to him direct, as the article "pony" is
already in proof. It should be addressed 78 Banbury
Road, Oxford. Q. V.
833. The Cummings of Culter. — On February
24, 1907, there died Emile Victor Garreau, of 7
Russell Road, Kensington, ** second son of Augustus
Victor Garreau of Beaubois, Mauritius, J. P. for
Seychelles," and grandson of "Sir Robert Stewart
Gumming, Bart., of Culter." The baronetcy, ac-
cording to *'G. E. C.," became dormant or extinct
about 1793, when the third baronet died in poverty
in Whitechapel, but it was assumed " possibly soon
after 1793, but more probably some 80 years after-
wards," by Robert Gumming of Airdrie. ** G. E. C."
says that Robert Stewart Gumming (who was granted
Gummingswood, Prince Edward's Island, for his
services as surgeon at the siege of Copenhagen in
1807), and who died in 1847, never assumed the
title. What was the name of his daughter who
married Garreau? J. M. 6.
*
834. Scots Episcopacy. — In 1852 there was
published, through A. Brown & Co., a pamphlet
(8vo, 9 pp.) entitled: *' Suggestions for practically
Carrying Out the Principle of Lay Co-operation at
the Synods of the Scottish Church." It is signed
by G. J. R. Gordon, John Dunn, George Ogilvie,
and George Grub. Was G. J. R. Gordon the laird
of Ellon ? J. M. B.
835. Miss Gordon, Ruby Cottage.— I am
informed that a Miss Gordon, sister oi Admiral
Sir Tames Alexander Gordon of the Wardhouse
family, lived at Ruby Cottage, Silver Street, Aber-
deen« Any information about her is welcome.
J. M. Bulloch.
836* ** The Standard Habbie."— Allan Ramsay,
in his first rhjrmed epistle to Lieut. Hamilton of
Gilbertiield, alludes to Robert Sempill's ** Elegy on
Habbie Simson," the piper of Kilbarchsui} as it it
was the first of that peculiar six-line Scottish stanza,
four of which are octo-syllabic and two. quadri-
syllabic, and calls it the *' Standard Habbie.'* This
measure became extensively popular with nearly all
our native bards. Fergusson wrote his most felici-
tious verses in this jerky stanza, and Burns excelled
in it also. Even Beattie, of '• Minstrel " fame,
essayed a set of such Scottish verses to Ross, the
author of '*Helenore." A Glasgow gentleman,
residing in Ascot Vale, near Melbourne — Mr. Allan
McNeilage — writes it tersely and freely, as many of
his printed verses will attest. Robert Sempill, the
author of "Standard Habbie," died about 1668, aged
73, and his poem is conjectured to have been written
in 1640. (See James Paterson's '* Poems of the
Sempills of Beltrees," 1849.) His father. Sir James
SempiU (friend of Andrew Melville), and his son,
Francis Sempill, were also versifiers. But Sempill
was not the first in Scotland to introduce this
metrical standard, for I find in the verses of Alex-
ander Scot, the "Scottish Anacreon,'* who wrote
an address to Queen Mary Stuart in 1562, three
pieces cast in this peculiar mould : ^' Patience in
Love," nine verses; "Cupid's Tyranny," five verses ;
and ** A Complaint," seven verses, one of which I
subjoin :
t.
That ever I loved, alas! therefore
Thus to be pined with pains so sore,
An' thirled thro' ilka vein an' bore
Without offence :
Christ send renieid. I say no more,
But patience.
9>
My query is — Was Alexander Scot the first "makar
in our country to originate this poetical measure?
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
837. Drum used at Harlaw. — In the year
1873, according to a press cutting pasted into one of
the old Spalding Club books, the following advertise-
ment was seen : —
SALE OF Akoient Relic— There will be Bzposed for
Sale, by Public Boup, within the Hall, No. 13 Adelphi
Court, on Saturday, 5rd May, at 12 o'clock Noon, The
Drum, lately belonging to the City Armoury, which was
used by the Aberdouians at the Battle of Harlaw. Well
authenticated. S[haw] R[obert] W[arrender] S[haw],
[Auctioneer].
Where is the relic now, and who is the possessor ?
Robert Murdoch.
838. Shaws of Rothiemurchus. — Mr. A. M.
Mackintosh, of Geddes House, Nairn, thus writes
me on the gth January this year: — ** I cannot place
Robert Shaw (sheriff-officer in Aberdeen), son of
Shaw Shaw, but as you say the latter was a grand-
son of a Shaw who had seven sons, it would appear
not unlikely that the Shaw was either William
Shaw, seventh and youngest son of Duncan of
Crathinard, who died in 1726, or even Duncan of
Crathinard himself, though perhaps Duncan would
be a little too early in point of time. William, as
well as his father Duncan, had seven sons, but none
of these bore the Christian name of- Shaw." Mr,
158
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[April, 1907
Mackintosh also mentions he has the genealogies of
several Shaws, but the genealogies of the Rothie-
murchus and Dalnavert branches are by no means
clear in the 17th or i8th century.
Robert Murdoch.
859. Lawrence and Mackintosh Families. —
In response to enquiry by Mr. A. M. Mackintosh,
Geddes House, Nairn, in the Northern Chronicle a
few years agp, some party gave the names of twenty-
two chiklren of Alexander Mackintosh of Blervie
(1707-1731 ) and Isabel Duff from a Lawrence sampler.
Can any reader tell me the connection, if any, of the
Lawrence family with Alexander Mackintosh of
Blervie ? Also, who is the owner of the sampler ?
A daughter of Alexander Mackintosh married Robert
Anderson, Sheriff- Substitute of Moray.
Robert Murdoch.
840. HuNTLY IN Bombay. — Huntly Lodge,
Bombay, is mentioned in the Scots Magazine for
December, 1818, p. 587. Why was it so called?
J. M. B.
Hudwers*
801. The Gordons of Carroll (2nd S., VIII.,
no.)— The intention of ** Ross-shire" is apparently
to enliven the pages of Scottish Notes and Queries
by introducing into the sober gravity of its queries a
species of conundrum. Presumably his query signifies:
In what relation did the two ladies mentioned stand
to each other ? The answer appears to be that they
sustained to each other the relations respectively of
aunt and niece. It further appears that the elder
John Gordon of Carroll was grandfather of the John
Gordon of Carroll who was living when the news-
paper paragraphs were penned.
Aliquis.
802. Mrs. Gordon op Craig (2nd S., VIII.,
no). — To speak of the contents of a book which one
has never seen is a somewhat risky proceeding.
There are, however, certain indications in Mr. J. M.
Bulloch's query which seem to point clearly enough
in one direction. The booklet referred to is perhaps
an account of the Assuanley cup, formerly in the
possession of Mrs. Gordon of Craig. If Mr. J. M.
Bulloch will refer to Jervise's ** Land of the Lind-
says," pp. 182-4, he will probably be inclined to
adopt tnis conclusion. If, further, he will consult
the ** Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of
Scotland,** II., 180-4, he may even derive some
information about Mrs. Gordon's '* Tale of Other
Times." vS.
803. Dr. Georoe Washington Bethune (2nd
S., VIII., 137) was born in New York City on March
18, 1805, and died in Florence, Italy, on April 27,
1862. James Gammack, LL.D.
West Hartford, Conn.
806. The Highland Independent CoMPAMiBt.
(and S., VIII., uo).— If by •' Highland Independent
Companies" ««H. D. McW." means '* Highland
Fencible Regiments," the answer to his query is
that 1759 was the year when the earliest ot them
originated. Browne's " History of the Highland
Clans,". Vol. IV., pp. 368-84, contains an account
of the various companies, with dates of their raising,
and some particulars about each of them.
S.
807. Inglis Family (2nd S.,VIII.4 126).— Fairley
is a mansion in Newhills parish ; Countesswells is a
mansion and estate in the parish of Peterculter. I
am unable to trace any. Inglis occupancy of either
of these places. Perhaps the Inglis iamily may be
descended from Robert Inglis, son of John Inglis,
merchant burgess in Edinburgh, who, in 1643, was
" retoured" as possessed of the lands and barony of
Grandholme. S.
809. Captain George Gordon, R.N., op
GtvEenhaugh (2nd S., VIII., 126). — In the Navy
List for 1815, the name of George Gordon appears
as promoted to the rank of Commander. The date
of his promotion indicates that he had probably seen
service during the naval operations of the Napoleonic
wars. There is no record to show that he ever
attained the rank of full Captain. Perhaps he was
merely called Captain out ot courtesy. Indeed, his
rank as Commander would, in popular speech, entitle
him to be so called. He is not to be mistaken for
the Captain George T. Gordon %vho, about the same
period, commanded a British expedition to the
Potomac. t S.
810. Sir Cusmo Gordon (2nd S., VIII., 126).—
One feels greatly tempted to regard ''Sir Cosmo
Gordon " as a nom de plnme^ were it not for the fact
that, whenever the book, ** Life and Genius of I^ord
Byron," is mentioned, there is never a hint of
pseudonymity attached to its author. In 1824 there
was at least one Cosmo Gordon who may have
written the book. He was the fourth son of Alex-
ander, Lord Rockville, of the Aberdeen family, and
a Lord of Session. His son Cosmo, born sometime
in the seventies of the i8th century, rose to be a
general in the Army, and died in 1867. He was not
entitled to be called Sir Cosmo, but an elder brother,
Sir William Duff Gordon, who died in 1823, was a
baronet. Possibly, through some printer's blunder,
the baronetcy may have been credited to Cosmo
Gordon. In all probability he was the same as the
Lieut. -C'plonel Gordon who, in 1805, published an
"Address to Volunteers.*' W. S.
811. LoNGMOKE Family (2nd S., VIII., 126).—
There was a James Longmore, a successful agri-
culturist in Banffshire, occupying the farm of Hilton,
who, according to " The Annals of Banff," was
chosen to be an elder in the parish church in 1863.
Assuming his identity with the person named in the
query, the probabilities are that he was married, and
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
«S9
had a family. Elders were generally chosen from
among those who were heads of families.
S.
8x3. Gordon- Anderson Marriage (2nd S.,
VIIL, 126). — I would venture to suggest that the
husband of Jane Gordon was named James Ander-
son. He was L.R.C.S. in 1807, M.D. (of Aberdeen)
in 1817, and ultimately became an Inspector of
Hospitals and Fleets. S.
814. TiNDKR Boxes in Church (2nd S., VIII.,
126). — Tinder boxes were in use in Scotland as well
as in England, and may often enough have been
carried in the pockets of worshippers to divine
service. The English custom, however, to which
Mr. Murdoch's query alludes, probably arose at a
very early period, and carried with it in the earlier
stages of its existence a kind of symbolic meaning.
No such meaning, at any time, can be found in the
Presbyterian Church of Scotland. The practice of
using lights in churches, prevalent in the Romish
Church, and not unknown in the Church of England,
has always been regarded by Presbyterians as
superstitious. Clkricus.
815. Jardine, Rannie, Dundas (2nd S.,VIII.,
126). — The word *' Bayley" in this query is doubtless
equivalent to the Scottish "Baillie." In all likeli-
hood the lady belonged to some branch of the
Lamington Baillies, who, it is said, were distantly
related to the Jardines. There does not seem to
have been any near relationship between the two
families. Perhaps the relationship spoken of in the
query may have been between Mrs. Henry Dundas
and Dr. Jardine's wife. Dr. Jardine was married to
a Drummond, and the Drummonds are understood
to have been somewhat closely related to the
Baillies. S.
8x8. Caddell (? Calder), alias MacPhkrson
(2nd S.,VIII.,i26).— "H. D. McW."is undoubtedly
right in his surmise. There is no such place-name
as '^Napherson.'* I have looked over a few
books of place-names in order to **mak' siccar."
" H. D. McW." may rest assured that '* Margaret
Calder or Macpherson" is the true reading.
S.
8ao. ** Scoto.Britannicus " (2nd S.,VIII., 140).
— I possess a copy of the "Scottish Biographical
Dictionary " of 1822, but had long abandoned, as an
insoluble problem, the attempt to determine its
authorship. Consequently, to my great regret, I
am unable to fulfil *'Alba*s" flattering expectation.
At the same time, I have no hesitation in thinking
that " Alba " himself has solved the problem. That
Peter Brown was the compiler of the " Dictionary "
is extremely likely — in £tict, in the light of " Alba's "
remarks about him, it is practically certain. The
book is not of much value, but possesses certain
distinctive features, to which '*Alba** has called
attention in his luminous and helpful note. I have
tested it in a few cases, and find that the compiler
has used the best authorities available at the time,
but has not exhibited much original research, and
has rrorodttced not a few statements and dates
since discovered to be quite erroneous. Watkin*s
** Dictionary" (from which he has borrowed largely),
and the " General Biographical Dictionary " of 1798
are mainly the authorities from which the work is
compiled. Permit me to express to **Alba" my
sense of the value of many of his discoveries, hints,
and suggestions in the pages of 5. N. 6* Q, The
discovery of Peter Brown is only one of many. It
says little, however, for literary research in Scotland
that ** Scoto-Britannicus" should have remained so
long veiled in mystery, and that it should have been
left to one hailing from the uttermost parts of the
earth to discover in the end the real name of the
writer. W. S.
821. •*RosE Douglas" (2nd S.,VIII., 140).—
Sarah R. Whitehead was the name of the authoress
of " Rose Douglas.'' The full title of the book is :
" Rose Douglas; or, Sketches of a Country Parish:
being the Autobiography of a Scotch Minister's
Daughter. By S. R. W. In two volumes." Lon-
don, 1851. 8vo. W. S.
822. Drumquhassill (2nd S.,VIII., 141). — This
lairdship was situated in the parish of Strathblane
in West Stirlingshire, and was part of "The
Lennox.*' The name was not changed, but the
proprietor, James Cunninghame of Drumquhassle,
parted with the lands sometime between 1638 and
1661, wheti he died. Robert, his brother, had pur-
chased the lands of Trienbeg, or Drumbeg, from the
laird of Gleneagles in 1616. William Cunninghame,
his brother, succeeded in 1644, and his son, John,
possessed also the lands of Bandalloch, or Balin-
dalloch, before 1689. Passing over some generations,
William Cunninghame of Bandalloch, colonel in
the Army, sold his estate, and bought that of Bala-
norris in the Isle of Man, having married Christian,
daughter of John Taubman, former proprietor ojf
Balanorris. The present representative of Cunning-
hame of Drumquhassill is James Stewart Robertson,
Esq., now of Edradynate, Perthshire, whose aunt
was heiress of Balanorris. (See "The Parish of
Strathblane," by J. G. Smith. Glasgow, 1886.)
Edinburgh. W. MacLeod.
" The great Strathendrick family of Cunningham
of Drumquhassle, which in the beginning of the
seventeenth century was on the wane," p. 241.
" On the north bank of the Endrick [in Drymen,
Stirlingshire] is Park of Drumquhassle, the property
of Miss Govane," p. 270. — Extracts from " Strathen.
drick and its Inhabitants from Early Times," by
John Guthrie Smith, Glasgow, 1896— a work con-
taining between forty and fifty references to the
Cunninghams. G. W.
Drumquhassill (or "Drumwhassel," as Hill Burton
spells it) was in the parish of Drymen, and county
i6o
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[April/ 1907
of Stirling. It was formerly an estate in possession
of the Cunninghams of Ayrshire, but all trace of
their occupancy has now, I believe, disappeared
from the county. The Stirlingshire Cunninghams,
according to Douglas, were descended from Andrew,
second son of Robert Cunningham, the gth laird of
Kilmaurs. They seem to have been among the
most warlike ot the family to which they belonged.
Most of our historians mention John Cunningham
of Drumquhassill as one of the bravest and most
skilful soldiers of his day ; while, at a much later
period, another of the name, also connected with
Stirlingshire, proved himself, on one occasion, in
single combat, more than a match for the redoubt-
able Rob Roy. W. S.
828. Musical Terms: '*BiMULL-CLiEFP"(2ndS.,
VIII., 141).— Dr. Forrest, Lonmay, says: — **B mol
ifl good Dutch.^' A Dutch dictionary gives as one
meaning.of " mol," ** a musical term meaning minor
mode." "BimuU-Clieff " must therefore mean the key
ol B minor. Probably the term came with the bells
themselves to Aberdeen from Belgium. It seems an
impossibility to get a Flemish dictionary in this
country, else we might find that ^'mol" is both
Dutch and Flemish.
John Milne, LL.D.
The cradle of the Cairnes family was in the
parish of Mid Calder, Mid Lothian, from which
they spread in several directions, notably through
Ireland, whither they went at the time of the
Ulster "plantations." Mr. Lawlor' (whose
mother was a Cairnes) has pieced together the
history of the name with indefatigable industry,
and though (being but yj) ^^ will yet find much
to add, he has made a splendid beginninij and
produced a very useful book.
Xfterature*
A History of the Family of Cairnes, or Cairns,
and its Connections. By H[enry] C[airnes]
Lawlor. London: Elliot Stock. (Printed by R.
Carswell & Son, Belfast.) 4to ; pp. xvi., 292
pp., with 43 illustrations, and five genealogical
tables. Price 21s.
This volume is a good example of the
industrious genealogical work that is in progress
all round, and it is typical that it should have
been produced by a man of 37, instead of, as in
other days, a mere old gentleman of 7^. In
noticing a book of this kind, it is usually the
merest presumption in a critic to enter into a
minute examination of its contents, for the
compiler in nine cases out of ten is a pioneer
and solitary authority. Moreover, one ought to
be concerned mainly with the spirit of the
undertaking — utterly thankless from the financial
point of view, but bringing immense satisfaction
to the patient builder himself.
Mr. Lawlor's methods are modem, relying on
research and discarding tradition. But his
undertone of apology that the family "have no
claim to be included among the greater noble
families of these kingdoms" is slightly old-
fashioned, for these so-called noble families are
frequently the veriest mushrooms, unable to show
anything Uke a descent of 600 years.
Scots Soofts Of tbe Aontb.
Blair, Matthew. The Paisley Thread Industry.
With 130 Illustrations of Paisley, Past and Present.
Crown 4to. Net, 68. Paisley : A. Gardner.
Clark, Andrew (Editor). The Shirbum Ballads,
1585- 1616. With 39 Illustrations from Black-
Letter Copies. Demy 8vo, pp. viii.+38o. Net,
los. 6d. Clarendon Press.
Cowan, Samuel. The Last Days of Mary Stuart,
and the Journal of Burgoyne, her Physician. 12
Illustrations. 8vo. 128. 6d.
London : Everleigh Nash.
Macgregor, Rev. Alexander, M.A. The
Feuds ot the Clans. 8vo. Net, 38. 6d.
Eneas Mackay.
Scotia: The Journal of the St. Andrew Society.
Illustrated. Candlemas, 1907. Vol. I., No. i.
Net, IS. Edinburgh : R. & R. Clark, Ltd,
Scotland— Privy Council Register. Vol. VII., 1638-
1643. (Second Series.) 15s. Wyman.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. A Child*8 Garden
of Verses. With Introduction by Andrew Lang,
and a Frontispiece. Pocket Edition. Small 4to.
Net., 2S. Longmans.
The Old Quadrangle. Edinburgh University, 1900-05.
By Four Graduates. Frontispiece. Large crown
8vo., pp. 162. Cloth, 3s. net. ; Paper, 28. net
Edinburgh : W. J. Hay.
Urquhart, A. R., M.D. (Editor). Auld Perth:
Being the Book of the Faire in Aid of the City
and County Conservative Club. Large 8va
Net., 3s. 6d. Perth: John Macgregor & Co.
NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.
All commtmications should be accompanied by an
identifying name and address. As publication day
is the 25th of each month, copy should be in a fe^v
days earlier. Ed.
^""^^^^"^"^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Printed and Published at The Boaemonnb Press, Aberdeen.
Literary cominunicationB should be addressed to the BdUott
23 Osborne Plaoe^ Al)erdeen ; Advertisements and Bostness
Letters to tbe PubllBhen, Farmer's Hall Lane, Aberdeen.
SCOTTISH
NOTES AND QUERIES.
VOL.Vin. -| "Mr. j^
May, 1907.
KM0I8TERED{gf^pM.^^
CONTBNTS.
Brodie, Michie, and Gauld Families lol
Notable Men and Women of Forfarshire 162
Bibliography of Perth JM
MacpherBOn Letters.— V loo
A Bibliography of Edinburgh Periodical Literature 166
A Forgotten Tragedy in Gamrie 169
Bibliography of worlcs on the Stewart and Stuart
Families 171
MiHOft Notes:—
Sir J. Willoughby Gordon 163
The First Gordons of Kllon— The Fife Pictures— Ex-
tracts from Edinburgh Town Council Minutes — 164
Laurences in Australia— John Abell 168
QUERIXS:—
A Rebel of 1745 171
Captain William Gordon, Minmore— William Aikman
—J. M. Logan— Gilbert M. Gibson- The Name
Keiller— The Old Pretender- George Gordon, 8th
West India Regiment— Lieut. George Gordon,
send Highlanders— Thomas Duncan Gordon— Mr.
Sheriff Gordon— John Moucrlef of Tippermalloch 172
IXippie Family— The Place-Name Dean— John's Coffer
House, Edinburgh— The Place-Name Bonington—
The Bridge of Balgownle— Cruden, Author of the
Concordance 173
AHSwnts:-
Chaplain Gordon ot Verdun— English County Antho-
logy— Tne Words of '* Cockabendy " 173
Gordon House, Kentish Town, London— Edith Aitken
— <;apt. (George Gordon, R.N., of Greenhaugh—
Longmore Family— Cardno Family— Lunan Fami-
lies — Anderson Families in Aberdeenshire 174
James Watson, Printer, Edinburgh— Andrew Bisset
—Patrick Grant, Lord Blchles— Dr. Peter Grant-
Joseph Gordon— Miss Gordon, Ruby Cottage—* 'The
Standard Habbie" 175
LITBKATURB 176
SCOTS BOOKS OF THE MONTH 176
ABERDEEN, MAY, 1Q07.
BRODIE, MICHIE, AND GAULD
FAMILIES.
(2nd S., VIII., 59, 66.)
I am much obliged to Mr. Murdoch for the
information contained in the October number of
your publication. Helen was a sister of
Jonathan, merchant, Aberdeen (born 14th
September, 1774, died 26th November, 1805),
and daughter of George Michie, Invernochty,
Strathdon (born 1720, died loth December, 1797),
by his wife Katherine (Gordon (bom 1731, died
at Aberdeen, 15th March, 1800).
In the Strathdon Churchyard, alongside of
the stone to the above George Michie, is one
erected to Peter Michie (born 1705, died 2nd
June, 1730). And next to this is a very old stone
erected by Alexander Michie, Braesachiel, to the
memory of his father, John Michie, who died
1 8th January , aged 67 years (the year of his
death is illegible). Were Peter and John related
to George, and if so, how ; and what became of
Alexander ?
The following may be of interest to Mr.
Murdoch : —
William Brody, Belnaglack, was a witness on
5th Februar)', 1792, to the baptism of Alexander,
son of Alexander Michie, Taylorsneals, Glen-
buchat.
Mary Brodie, married James Michie, Stocket-
head, Aberdeen. Their family consisted of
Helen Michie (born ist September, 1765), Janet
Michie (born 30th August, 1767), Francis
Michie (bom 3rd September, 1769).
William Gell, Kirktown, Strathdon, was
witness to the baptism, on 23rd August, 1687, of
Elspet, daughter of Francis Michie, farmer,
Semeil, Strathdon.
William Gauld, Nethertown, Glenbuchat, was
witness to the baptism, on 28th October, 1797,
of Isobel and William, twin children of William
Michie, Sloggie, Glenbuchat.
Gauld, Tillykerrie, Cromar, married
Margaret (bora 4th October, 1841), daughter of
James Michie, Mill of Rippachie, Tarland.
David Gauld, tailor. Old Machar, was
witness to the marriage, on 19th July, 1781, of
Ann Michie (bom 1753, buried in Spital
Cemetery, Old Aberdeen, on nth December,
1 811), to Robert Ogg, wright, Aberdeen. He
was also witness to the marriage, on 28th June,
1787, of John Michie, tailor, Spital (born 1768,
buried in Spital Cemetery on nth June, 1816), to
Margaret, daughter of William Smith, wool-
comber, Aberdeen.
David Gald was witness to the baptism, on 5th
November, 1766, of James, son of James Michie,
blacksmith, Spital, Aberdeen.
John Gall, labourer, Aberdeen, was witness to
the marriage, on 22nd June, 1780, of May,
daughter of George Michie, Crookmore, Alford,
to George Duncan, dyer, Aberdeen.
Calcutta. Chas. Michie.
1 62
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[May, 1907
NOTABLE MEN AND WOMEN OF
FORFARSHIRE.
(Continued from 2nd S., VII L, 247.)
53. Barrie, James Matthew, LL.D. :
Noted Novelist, Playwright, etc. Born Kirrie-
muir 9th May, i860. "I am inclined," says Dr.
William Wallace, in the Bookman^ "to give him
the third place among living British novelists.
He does not possess the Shakespearian variety
of Mr. Meredith, nor has he such a conception
as has Mr. Hardy of the Euripidean tragedy of
human life. But he is incomparably droller
than either : he has more drollery than any
novelist since Dickens, and the power of forcing
you to laugh unexpectedly is the privilege of
genius." " I should be inclined," he adds, *' to
bracket Mr. Barrie with Gait (Gait at his best,
as in *The Entail/ is the Scottish Balzac) as
second to Scott among Scottish novelists,
Stevenson being fourth, and Mrs. Oliphant fifth."
Probably Dr. Wallace is right in placing Barrie
below Meredith and Hardy in respect to the
intellectual power displayed by these two great
writers, but in respect to the general readable-
ness and healthfulness of the works of the
authors compared, I am persuaded that Barrie
is undoubtedly superior to cither, and perhaps
stands at the head of living English writers.
Certainly he is the most successful of present-
day Scottish litterateurs. He is also, I am per-
suaded, much superior to Gait, whom I would
place below either Stevenson or Neil Munro
either as a stylist or creator of character. But
a truce to such comparisons. Let me next briefly
notice the chief works published by this remark-
able son of Angus. After a good education
received at Dumfries Academy and Edinburgh
University, young Barrie chose a journalistic
career. Here he soon made a name for himself,
especially by his graphic sketches of the life of
the Scottish common people, since republished
as **Auld Licht Idylls," and '*A Window in
Thrums." Later writings of his are, e.g., "My
Lady Nicotine," "W^hen a Man's Single," and,
more especially, "The Little Minister." "Tommy
and Grisel," " Sentimental Tommy," as well as
his monograph on his mother, entitled,"Margaret
Ogilvy," have had a great vogue, and have
largely enhanced his reputation. He has also
given great attention to the drama, and is one of
the most popular playwrights, one of his plays,
"Peter Pan," havmg had a run of popularity
seldom equalled. Altogether, Forfarshire may
well be proud of a literary man whose genius is
so unique and undeniable.
54. Barclay, Robert : Provost of Mont-
rose, etc. Bom and educated in that town, he
was eldest son of Charles Edward Barclay, a
previous Provost of his native town. A well-
known business man, of a studious disposition^
but with little taste for public life. In 1868,
however, he was induced to enter the Town
Council, when he was at once elected Provost,
but at the end of his term of office he retired
into private life. To the affairs of Montrose
Natural History and Antiquarian Society he
devoted much time and attention, having acted
for many years as honorary secretary. He was
the last male representative, in the 22nd genera-
tion, of the family of De Berkley of " Mernez
and Mathrys," in direct descent from John De
Berkeley, who acquired the lands of Conveth in
Laurencekirk parish, tempore Alexander I L
55. Barry, P.: Author. He has written on
social questions, also has written some technical
works on gunnery, etc. ; probably born about
1828. He published "The Dockyards and the
Private Shipyards of the Kingdom," 3rd edition,
1863; "Dockyard Economy and Naval Power,"
1863; "The Dockyards, Shipyards, and Marine
of France," 1864; "Shoeburyness and the Guns:
a Philosophical Discourse," 1865; "Over the
Atlantic and Great Western Railway," 1866;
"Wealth and Poverty Considered," 1870 ; "The
Workman's Wrongs and the Workman's Rights,"
1871.
56. Barty, James Strachan, D.D. : "The
Last of the Moderates." Born in the manse of
Newtyle, 1805, he was licensed by the Presby-
tery of Meigle, 1828, and ordained colleague
and successor to his father in Bendochy parish
in 1829. Created D.D. by St. Andrews Univer-
sity in 1852, he was Moderator of the General
Assembly in 1868. At his death, in 1875, he
was spoken of as " the last of the Moderates,"
but he may also be called "the first of the Tariff
Reformers," for he was the political progenitor
of the movement recently headed by Mr.
Chamberlain, having published in 1850 " Peter
Plough's Letters to the Right Honourable Lord
Kinnaird on High Farming and Free Trade," a
Tariff Reform publication in the days when
Protection had received its death-blow, but when
there were still devoted adherents of the system
who thought it certain to be restored. The
article on Bendochy in the " New Statistical
Account of Scotland " is by Dr. Barty, as also
is an " Address " published in his Moderatorial
year, 1868. A fine sepulchral monument has
been erected to his memory, and while the
Birmingham programme of Tariff Reform is still
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
163
the authorised programme of the present Con-
servative party, it may perhaps be said that,
though Dr. Barty has long been at rest in his
grave, his spirit keeps marching on.
57. Baxter, David (Sir), Baronet : Manu-
facturer and Philanthropist. Born Dundee 13th
February, 1793, he died in 1872. A very success-
ful business man, at his death his heritable and
personal property amounted to ;^ 1.200,000.
About £^opcK) was given to the Free Church of
Scotland, with which he was connected, and
about ;^40,ooo to found a chair of Engineering
and endow scholarships in Edinburgh University.
58. Baxter, Edmund : Lawyer. Born
Dundee 1808, died 1865. "As a lawyer," says
M r. Norrie, " he was a fluent speaker, a sound
reasoner, and always dealt with his subject in a
thoroughly hearty, honest way."
59. Baxter, Edward : Manufacturer. Born
Dundee 3rd April, 1791 ; died at Kincaldrum
26th July, 1870. At his death, the Dundee
Advertiser summed up his character in the
following terms : — " He neither sought nor at-
tained personal popularity. From the constitu-
tion of his mind, he saw mankind only in the
mass, and forgot that it was the power of the
individual by which it was moved. Nevertheless,
this constitutional insensibility to the presence
of others, this want of sympathy with the humble
annals of the poor, if it kept him from a place in
their affections, was the source of that power
which he wielded like a Hercules against the
old provosts and old baillies of our old rotten
burgh." He belonged to the Congregational
Church, which benefited much by his counsels,
if not so much by his wealth.
60. Baxter, Francis Willoughby :
Author. Born in Dundee in 1806, he died in
1870. He was bred to the Law, but he became
a general merchant. Having literary proclivities,
he contributed to Taifs Magazine and other
periodicals. He also edited the Dundee
Advertiser iox some years, but settled afterwards
in London, though he retired finally to Scotland,
where he died. His only novel, " Percy Lockhart,
or, the Hidden Will," appeared posthumously in
1872. It reveals power, and seems to show
that, had its author given himself to novel
writing, he would have attained eminence in
that art.
61. Baxter, William Edward (Rt. Hon.,
M.P., P.C.). Bom 1825, son of 59, and nephew
of 57, a native of Dundee, he was educated
there and at Edinburgh University. He became
a partner in his father's firm, and was very
successful. He frequently contributed to the
press, and from 1850 onward issued numerous
publications. In 1853 he began to lecture in
public on a vast variety of topics. He also
travelled very extensively, and was a painstaking
student of political and public questions. In
1855 he succeeded Joseph Hume as member for
the Montrose District of Burghs, which he
represented for thirty years. His maiden speech
in Parliament was made within a month of his
election. In 1856, at the request of Lord
Palmerston, he seconded the Address at the
beginning of the session, but when asked to
join the Administration, he declined to do so.
In the Gladstone Administration of 1868, he
accepted office as Secretary to the Admiralty, in
187 1 was promoted to be Financial Secretary
to the Treasury, and in 1873 was made a Privy
Councillor. Shortly afterwards he resigned
office owing to disapproval of the general
management by the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
and it is understood that he was offered the
office of Postmaster-General, which he declined.
He died at Kincaldrum in 1890. He was
deemed one of the ablest of Scottish Parliament
men.
62. Baxter, John Boyd, LL.D.: Philan-
thropist. Bom Dundee in 1796, died 1882. One
of the munificent benefactors by whom the
University College, Dundee, was founded.
63. Bean, Margaret : Minor Poet. Born
1865 at Piperton, near Brechin, where her an-
cestors had occupied a farm (it is said) for six
centuries. Miss. Bean was educated in Brechin
and Edinburgh, and has been a teacher in both
England and Scotland. She figures in Edwards's
** Modern Scottish Poets," Vol. XV.
Dollar. W. B. R. Wilson.
(To he continued. j
♦
Sir J. Willoughby Gordon. — Consult
pages 96, 98, 99, 310, 3", 328, 329 o( "The
Origin and Early History of the Royal Hospital
at Chelsea," compiled in Her Majesty's Office of
that institution, London. In this book mention
is made, on page 161, that in Ranelagh Gardens
there is a statue in bronze, erected by subscrip-
tion in 1865, of Sir J. McGregor, Bart., Director-
General of the Army Medical Department from
181 5 to 1851. Major-General George Hutt was
secretary to the Commissioners at date of publi-
cation, April, 1872. The University Library,
King's College, has a copy of the book on its
shelves. ROBERT MURDOCH.
1 64
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[May, 1907
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PERTH.
In a recently published book entitled " Auld
Perth," there is an article on the " Literature of
Perth,*' with a bibliography of " local interest,"
written by Mr. A. R. Urquhart.
The bibliography is arranged alphabetically
under authors. Anonymous books are separately
entered under subjects, and the books named in
Mori son's Sale Catalogue of 1797 are lastly
mentioned, if not otherwise identified.
The first book noticed is the " Muses Threno-
die," by Henry Adam son (1638). In a note to
this book, Mr. LJrquhart says: — "Although thirty
copies were printed by aid of the Town Council,
there does not seem to be a copy in the Perth
Charter Room, nor is it to be found in the
Advocates' Library." This is quite right, but Mr.
Urquhart might have added that there is a copy
in the British Museum.
Mr. D. Crawford Smith, F.S.A.(Scot.), in his
" Historians of Perth," (page 50), tells us regard-
ing the same book, " only one copy of the first
edition [1638] is known to exist, and even it has
the title page supplied. This copy was sold
some years ago for five guineas."
I do not know to what copy Mr. Crawford
Smith refers. There is certainly no reason
whatever for doubting the genuineness of the
title page of the British Museum copy of the
first edition of Adamson's " Muses Threnodie."
It was acquired in 1886, but I do not think it is
the only copy, as one, apparently perfect, was
sold at Sotheby's for £6 2s. 6d. in 1891.
Mr. Crawford Smith also tells us of a
unique edition of the poem published in 1773
(the year before James Cant's edition), but Mr.
Urquhart has not mentioned it in his biblio-
graphy.
The next book which Mr. Urquhart notices is
James Cant's edition of Adamson's " Muses
Threnodie," 1774, and in a note we are told that
a copy of this edition is in possession of Dr.
Urquhart. As this is the only indication that
the general reader gets of where Henry
Adamson's " Muses Threnodie" may be seen, I
would respectfully suggest to Mr. Urquhart that
he might add a note to his notice of this book,
informing the general reader that the poem is
bound up with David Peacock's " Perth : its
Annals and Archives," and also to make a note
to his entry of David Peacock's book to indicate
that the poem is there. I recently saw a copy
of the works of James I., bearing the impnnt
" Perth, 1827," but I cannot find any trace of it
in the bibliography.
Notwithstanding one or two errors and
omissions, Mr. Urquhart has done a service
to bibliography, and I trust at no distant date he
will give us a complete bibliography of Perth,
with an introductory study of "The men who
have made the literature of Perth, from Robert
Heron to R. S. Fittis, and of those who gave
their work to the world of readers, from George
Anderson to the printers of to-day."
J. B. T.
The First Gordons of Ellon.— It has
puzzled genealogists why James Gordon, the
second laird of Ellon (of the first family which
held the estate) should have gone out of Scot-
land in 1747, when he empowered his spouse,
Elizabeth Glen, to have charge of his lands.
May I suggest that he may have gone to America
with his brother-in-law, James Glen, the Gover-
nor of South Carolina.-* At any rate he seems
to have gone there six years before, for, accord-
ing to the Scots Magazine of July, 1741 (p. 331),
" Mr. Gordon" was appointed secretary to Glen.
J. M. B.
The Fife Pictures.— Mr. John Grant,
George IV. Bridge, Edinburgh, offered in his
February catalogue, for half-a-guinea, the cata-
logue of the pictures belonging to James, Earl
Fife, grandfather of the present Duke of Fife, in
Duff House, Delgaty Castle, Roihiemay House,
Innes House, and Fife House, 4to., half-calf
(rare). Privately printed, 1807.
Extracts from Edinhurch Town Coun-
cil Minutes.— />>ir^;;/^^rr 14, 1698: "The which
day the Councill grants license and warrand to
Moses Mosias, Jew, to trade and use merchand-
ise within the good toun and privileges yrof,
during the Councill's pleasure, And in caise the
Jew Moses Mosias turn Christian, the Councill
declare they will for his Incouragement admitt
him burges gratis." On November 15, 1700,
another Jew was granted the same permission,
but no offer was made to him.
January 12, 1700: The Council took into
consideration the number of thieves and
prostitutes in the city, and ordered that,'*coiiform
to the custom of other places abroad, those
common thieves and whores should be marked
upon the nose by stricking out a piece of the
left side of the nose with ane iron made for that
n
purpose.
May 16, 1701 : The Council orders "the gtood
touns Chamberlain to pay to Roderick Square
four dollars for ane poem."
Ev.\N Odd.
I
\
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
165
MACPHERSON LETTERS.— V.
rZnd S., VII., p. 167; VIII., pp. 2, 75 y 105.)
The subjoined letters serve to illustrate that
the droving business — a somewhat favourite pur-
suit amongst the minor Highland gentlemen of
the 1 8th century — was not unattended with con-
siderable risk. The custom seems to have been
for the drovers to obtain cattle from various
owners, and, having formed a drove, to start for
the South, with a view to the disposal of the
cattle at Falkirk, Barnet, or elsewhere. As a
rule the drovers did not pay the owners when
obtaining the cattle, but gave bills payable on
some date subsequent to a particular market, so
that when a drover was unable, as in the case
mentioned below, to obtain even as much as the
price he had agreed to pay for the cattle, he
was in a somewhat unenviable position. But to
Donald Macpherson of Crubm, when placed
in this dilemma, an original idea seems to have
occurred, and which it may be assumed was the
means of relieving him from his embarrassment.
His letter runs : —
Also in Tammore's writing : —
Donald Mcphersone of Crubin. Letter offering
back the Catle he bought from me. 1731.
The letter is also endorsed with the follo^^ing
I note to Tammore in the writing of Francis
Steuart of Lesmurdie : —
Sir
I mead open your Leter after the berar telling
me ther was one in it to me and that he had
Called at your house and missed you, as Likways
he told me of the subject qch is Just the same
with myne So that to morows night He be
at minimore, and you may send your answer
to him yr, and I shall cause my servant carie it
qch you may leat me Know the Contents of
Because Im in strait what to doe with him,
whither to taik my owen (?) without paying Grass-
ing or Leting him Keep ym.
Tammore's reply to Donald Macpherson's
letter was as follows : —
Sir,
Gaskenloan, s*** August 1731.
I wrote Lesmurdy att Glass Marcat and desired
in my Letter to acquaint you of q* might happen
if times would not alter in ye South And by al!
appearance they will not so soon as this Catle
woud needs be sent South, for y« Letter end of
y« year tho' right is not fitt for my Sort of Catle.
Tuesday Last I Came home from falkirk qr had
Sixty beasts oi qch number I. brought back again
24 that Coud not be Sold to paie us y^ price of yr
buying List although at first buying were under
^5 £ Scots each : So that you may Judge by that
Same q^ under yr price might such Catle as I
brought out of your Country be sold at qn at first
buying and near 23 £ each : And now seeing that
your Catle are all to ye fore and in very good
order you woud take ym back again to your plough
this year and pay for ye grassing of ym And Again
next it may be the'l be better occasion for you for
I Can asure you thers a great Chance of Losing
ten shill : should ye head in y« South So that I
woud think when you Can be no Ix)ser that you
woud not Oblidge me to goe South w^ ym and
have too Sure y* Chance of Loseing Considerably.
Being on heast I referr you to Lesmurdie's Letter
inclosed and when you read please Seal and Send
your answer And oblidge
your humble Sertt.
Don: M^^pherson
Endorsed : —
Robert Grantt of Tamore
heast heast
Sir
Tomoir 8^»* August 1731.
I have yours of the 5 th Just now by a Ser* of
Lesmurdys wherein you tell me that your afraid
that you cannot make a profitable merket of the
Catle you bought Last Spring and theirfore desired
Lesmurdy to make an offer to me of the parcell
you bought of me then in your Last to him the
time of Gles merket, it seems he did not think you
was in earnest, for he neither wrote or spocke to
me on the subject till now that I have your own
Letter offering Back the Catle you bought from
me upon my paying you for Grasing them : that
is a sort of trade I have not yet dealt in : I never
offered a beast back that I bought, and I presume
If you expected or even got profit you would not
think it fit or necessary to Communicat any part
of it to me, nor did any man I sold to till now
Insinuat any such proposall to me. Yet as this is
the first time I have had occasione to sell Catle to
you and that its possible the times doe not answer
your expectatione, I am Content to indulge you
so farr as to take Back the Catle I sold even tho
I have since bought oyrs for my plough and could
have sold the few I gave you to as good advantage
as the price you promised, and to a mer^ that
would not offer them back, provided you deliver
them to me at this place safe and in good order
without any cost or Charges to me even of Grasing
or so much as driving them here Betwixt this date
and the eighteenth current only, and If you doe
not then deliver them back to me in the termes
above, your to make your own use of them and
pay me the price as condesended on.
Endorsed in Tammore's writing : —
Double of a Letter to Crubine. 1731.
H. D. McW.
i66
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[May, 1907
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EDINBURGH
PERIODICAL LITERATURE (V., 20, etc.)
(Continued from 2nd S., Vol. VI 1 1., p. IS J.)
[Supplementary.]
In 1832 the Advertiser felt the pressure of the
times upon it. From its start it had made httle or
no alteration in its general appearance, the only
increase in size being from 4to to small folio.
On Tuesday, July 3, of that year, the paper
suddenly blossomed into 4 pp. folio of the modern
newspaper size. Its readers had urged the incon-
venience of its shape, and the owner said,
'* Though we arc not fond of innovations, we can see
no objection to gratify our readers." At the same
time a general declaration of policy was made :
"We shall firmly and fearlessly advocate constitu-
tional principles." It was the time when the
Church was entering on what became known as the
Ten Years* Conflict. The Advertiser determined
to support the Moderate side in the interests of
peace and order in the Church, " seeing that now
its very existence is assailed under the mask of
reform." It continued an advocate of the
Established Church to the very end.
This change of size was probably coincident with
the acceptance of the editorial control of the paper
by Rev. [Dr.] Andrew Crichton. For some little
time it had been under the direction of the
versatile Robert Chambers — how long is unknown.*
In 1832, however, his firm began the issue of
their Historical Newspaper and their well-known
yournaly and he seems then to have withdrawn.
Years afterwards he added this sentence to his
" Traditions of Edinburgh," in reference to the
Advertiser. He says it "was for a long course of
years the prominent journal on the Conservative
side, and eminently lucrative, chiefly through its
multitude of advertisements." Crichton, who
made some reputation for himself in Edinburgh as
an editor and author, did much to enhance the
usefulness of the paper. He retired from it in
June, 1 85 1. His place was taken by Robert W.
Paterson, who continued in oflice till the journal
suspended publication.
When it required only five years to complete a
century of existence, the Advertiser disappeared.
Its proprietor had apparently got tired of it,
although he had been connected with it one way
or another for nearly all his life. The last imprint
ran : " Edinburgh : printed and published at the
office, No. 91 Rose St., by Claud Muirhead, and
also published at the oflice, No. 13 South Hanover
St., every Tuesday and Friday morning." The
concluding number was dated Tuesday, March
29, 1859, and the Journal was then merged in the
Edinburgh Bventng Courant. Its last words
were a protest :
* Mr. A. H. Miller has given the dates 1829-32.
"As a contemporary, the Evening Post^ has somewhat
officiously been publishing, during the past fortnight,
an article in which it speaks of the cessation of the
Advertiser ' as an event which we have been expecting
for some time '—a statement which may possibly lead
some people to imagine that the Advertiser htui become
an unprofitable property— we take leave to mention
that such is not the case. The sale of the Advertiser
has taken place for private reasons on the part of the
proprietor, and we may add that it closes its career
with a circulation which we have good reason to believe
to be about double that of the Evening Post."
The Courant received its partner with open arms,
testifying to its ancient "respectability" and to
" the integrity and ability with which it has
always been conducted as well as. the courtesy and
fidelity with which it has ever held its course."
The incorporation took place on April i, 1859.
Four years before its withdrawal, the circulation
of the Advertiser was set down at 1,433 copies.
1768. The Weekly Magazine^ or^ Edinburgh
Amusement ^* containing the essence of all the
Magazines, Reviews, Newspapers, etc., published
in Great Britain. Also extracts from every work
of merit, whether political, literary, or comical,
being a Register of the Writings and Transactions
of the Times. No. i, July 7, 1768. 32 pp. 8vo.
The separate numbers contained no imprint,
but the title page of the volume bore : Edinburgh :
printed by and for Wal. Ruddiman, Junr., Foresters'
Wynd, Lawn Market. The motto was :
"Floriferi^ ut apes in sultibus omnia libunt omnia noe."
The first volume was dedicated to Sir Lawrence
Dundas, Bt., M.P.
The conductor or editor was Walter Ruddiman,
the nephew of the famous Thomas Ruddiman,
and his journal was the first weekly magazine to
appear in Scotland. It was meant to rival the
Scots Magazine. The editor evidently considered
his paper the true successor and continuation of
his Edinburgh Magazine of 1759, for he headed
his poetical introduction, " Resurgo," and then
continued :
"I, wild ere while, by emulation led,
Fondly pursued the mazazining trade,
Explored the paths of literary fame,
Gave birth to genius," etc. , etc.
— an effusion which he signed *'W. R., Junr."
Under his management the Magazine achieved
unusual success. When he died, June 18, 1781,
the Caledonian Mercury said that, in conducting
the paper, he " discovered a degree of genius and
literary merit not inferior perhaps to any of his
contemporaries, "t The paper itself followed hard
upon the plan of the Scots Magazine. It
contained light articles of the type current at
the time, and, in addition, made a specialty
of contributions that were judged of practical
utility, suitable, as the publisher says, for the
* The magazine is occasionally referredto as the Scots Weekly
Magazine. Cf., e.g., Maidment's " Ballads."
t"The Ruddimans in Scotland," by G. H. Johnstone,
Edinbuiigh, 1901, gives many interesting facts about the
literary and other activities of this well>known family.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
167
requirements of physiciaiif virtuoso, country
gentleman, merchant, mechanic, or farmer. The
poetical department contained a larger number of
pieces that are still considered of merit than was
usual. It has been noted that both Telford, the
engineer, and Mayne, the author of the '* Siller
Gun," contributed rhymes to its pages, and that
the pa{>er was a means of beginning a friendship
between them that lasted till 1834. Its special
feature, however, was the news section. It laid
itself out to give a weekly summary of events,
and everything was done to make this part as fresh
and full as possible.
There is a consensus of opinion that the
appearance of Robert Fergusson's poems in the
pages of the Magazine contributed much to its
popularity. Dr. A. B. Grosart, that fervent
partisan of the poet, says that, because of his
contributions '*Ruddiman's Weekly leapt at a
bound to a then unparalleled success. The
successive numbers were eagerly waited and
watched for. Coffee-rooms and clubs rang with
talk of the successive poems. From every nook of
broad Scotland complimentary letters and verses
were received by the jubilant publisher."* There
can be no doubt that Fergusson and Ruddiman
were on exceptionally good terms. In his *' Last
Will " the poet desires that it should be registered
in Walter's Weekly Magazine^ and in the
•* Codicil " he writes :
*' To Walter Ruddiman, whose pen
Still screened me from the Dance's den,
I leave of phiz a picture. . . . '
But, perhaps, it is too much to give to Fergusson
the whole credit for the favour with which the
magazine was received. The editor himself had
another explanation. Writing in the number for
July II, 1782, he said — *' To the novelty of the
plan, which admitted every variety of miscellaneous
literature, with a full narrative of the public
occurrences of the week^ may be ascribed its
uncommon success " — the italics being his own.
Owing to the tax on newspapers, news was dear.
By its plan, the Magazine was a newspaper to all
intents and purposes, and, in addition, its price
made it easily accessible. The citizens of Edin-
burgh and neighbourhood would have belied their
reputation for healthy economy had they not sub-
scribed to it rather than to the high-priced journals,
its contemporaries. Arnot, the historian of Edin-
burgh, after describing the contents of the
Magazine, says — '*As this was afforded very
cheap, the publication was very successful. Indeed
it became so in a degree unprecedented in Scot-
land, for in winter 1776 the number of copies sold
amounted to 3,000 weekly."
For some years nothing noteworthy happened,
but by 1777 the open hostility of other publishers
was aroused. They complained that Ruddiman' s
* ** Life of FeiKuason," p. — , chap. 8, gives a list of Fergusson
contributiouB to the Magaziive. In 1773 they were issued in
separate volume form.
paper was escaping its legal dues, and so damag-
ing their trade by an unfair competition. They
accordingly made a joint formal representation to
the authorities, who took up the case, and called
Ruddiman before the Court of Exchequer to show
cause why he should not be punished for evading
the Stamp Acts. The case was tried on June 16,
1777. The editor drew some fine distinctions.
He pleaded that the publication day of the journal
was Thursday, on which day no post arrived in
Edinburgh, and the Magazine^ accordingly, could
not be a newspaper, but a pamphlet, as it had been
registered; that no objection had been taken
although it was now in its 9th year ; that other
papers were in the same case, and that the Act
had no relation to magazines. The ingenious
defence failed, even although it was asserted that
" the essays from time to time pubUshed in it had
been of essential service to the manufacturers and
improvements of the country." Ruddiman had a
verdict recorded against him, but in view of all the
circumstances, the judgment was not made
retrospective. Ruddiman met the situation by
publishing the news section under the title of
Ruddimofi^s Weekly Mercury (see below), and
continuing the issue of the other part under the
old name.
This, however, was not the last trial of strength
which Ruddiman had with the authorities. One
point still remained doubtful, viz., that with regard
to the interval of publication which put a journal
beyond the scope of the Stamp Act. All weeklies
were considered newspapers if they published
news. The region beyond the seven days was
doubtful. Ruddiman, accordingly, changed his day
of issue to Thursday, on December 30, 1779, and
thereafter sent out his numbers every eighth day.
At the same time he resumed '* our primary plan,"
of publishing t\vo departments — news and mis-
cellaneous. This arrangement was continued till
Tuesday, June 27, 1780, when the editor had to
withdraw. He stated that
" a fresh prosecution in Exchequer is just commenced
against us at the suit of the Crown. To attempt a
second opposition to such superior force would be
vain."
He compromised by inserting, in place of the
** History of the Times," a monthly summary ot
events. Publication day was fixed for Thursday.
The volume (47) which began on December 30,
1779, changed its name to The Edinburgh
Magazine or Literary Amusement, '^containing the
essence of all magazines, reviews, etc., with a
variety of original pieces by men of literature, both
in prose and verse. Also extracts from new
publications of merit, on whatever subject or
science, being an entertaining record of the
writings and transactions of the times." In 1780
the circulation stood at 1,400 weekly.
The American War of Independence dealt a
severe blow to papers which did not give up-to-date
news ; and the Magazine felt the pressure thus
caused. It stopped publication on July 11, 1782.
i68
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[May, 1907
" This miacellaDy, circumscribed as it has baen in the
historical department, is 111 calculated to satisfy a
curiosity so ardent or an aniiety so natural at the
present momentous crisis. And it is from this circum-
stance the publishers have not of late reaped an
adequate recompence for the expense and labour
attending the execution of this work. It is, therefore,
not without much (>onoeni they find it necessary to
discontinue the publication for the present."
The suspension continued over a year. Publica-
tion was not resumed till July 3, 1783. The title
was then changed to The Edinburgh Weekly
Magazine, a name which it retained to the end.
Soon after the new start, the Ruddiman in
charge had another tussle with the Revenue
officials. In the number for July 10, 1783, he
intimated that he had intended to insert a fort-
nightly report of news, but that he had ** received
information from the officers of stamp duties that
it is their fixed resolution to prosecute every
printer who shall publish news or occurrences in
any form whatever upon unstamped paper oflener
than once a month." The publisher had perforce
to submit. Towards the end of the same year, he
tried another evasion, this time to provide weekly
accounts of the proceedings in Parliament, but
again the authorities threatened proceedings unless
stamped paper was used. The editor again
thought discretion the better part of valour,
although he retorted that he *' knew of no Act of
Parliament which subjects the news of a fortnight
to a stamp duty, any more than the news of a
month." On December 25, 1783, he adopted the
plan of devoting every fourth number to Parlia-
mentary intelligence.
The Magazine appears to have disappeared
during the course of the following year. The last
number I have examined is that for June 10, 1784,
but Mr. Johnstone says the end did not come till
June 24, 1784.
interests. As an expert judge of stock, his
advice was much sought after. Mr Lawrence
was the third son of the late Mr. James
Lawrence, the builder of the Melbourne Town-
Hall and some of the finest edifices in the city.
He has left a widow and a family of five
daughters and two sons. His remains will be
interred this afternoon at the Boroondara
Cemetery." alba.
Melbourne, Australia.
26 Circus Drive,
Glasgow.
W. J. COUPER.
Lawrences in Australia. — I beg to
intimate to Mr. Robert Murdoch, who appears to
be specially interested anent the Lawrence
family, .the death of Alexander Lawrence, a
Banffshire cadet, on the i ith February. He was
brought out to Australia when a mere lad, and
worked his way up to an honourable position.
I append a notice from the Melbourne Argus of
1 2th February : — "The announcement to-day of
the death of Mr. Alexander Lawrence, of
Coliban, Redesdale, will be received with deep
regret by a large circle of friends. A week ago
he was stricken with apoplexy, and gradually
sinking, death ensued on Monday evening. He
held the position of president of the shire
council of Metcalf, and for many years was an
active member of several societies which aimed
at the advancement of agricultural and pastoral
John Abell. — This famous singer is reckoned
to have been English from his employment in the
Chapel Royal by command of Charles 1 1. He
was born in 1660, and died at Cambridge in r 724.
He first came into notice by his singing of the
old Scottish song " Catherine Ogie," as he
possessed an alto voice of exquisite purity. But
this fine vocalist was an Aberdonian, and a
product of that " Sang Schule " which gave us
the "Aberdeen Cantus." My authority for this
statement is that of a contemporary, Sir Samuel
Forbes of Foveran, born 1653, died ^6th July,
17 1 7. He wrote in 1715 "A Description of
Aberdeenshire," which has been printed, and
will be found in Gavin TurrefTs '*^Antiquarian
Gleanings from .Aberdeenshire Records" (1871).
It has this pregnant paragraph relating to
Aberdeen : " Music here is much in vogue, and
many citizens sing charmingly. The well-known
Abell was a native of this place, and his kindred
are known by the name Eball ; and it is said
there are others as good as he." The surname
Abel still exists in Aberdeen. I remember a
worthy denizen in Virginia Street, James Abel,
a baker, who was a Town Councillor. That
John Abell should be considered English need
not be wondered at when nowadays eminent
Scots are classified as Englishmen. Some
months back we had in Melbourne Mr. Andrew
Black, of undoubted Scottish lineage, bom and
bred in Glasgow, billed and advertised in our
newspapers as "the famous English baritone."
This audacious lie passed uncontradicted, and the
" intelligent foreigner " might reasonably assume
that Black was an Englishman when he saw it so
deliberately intimated in the daily press. My
friend Mr. Neil Izett pawkily remarked that it
was in accordance with the predatory ethics of
John Bull — always coveting, claiming, and grab-
bing whenever he had a chance, and pithily sum-
med up in this maxim — " What's yours is mine,
what's mine's my own !" Mr. David Baptie, in
a new edition of his " Musical Scotland," should
begin it with John Abell. Alba.
Melbourne Australia.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
169
A FORGOTTEN TRAGEDY IN GAVIRIE.
About 140 years ago the quiet parish of
Garxirie in Banffshire was thrown into a state of
great excitement when strange rumours reached
the ears of the law as to a tragedy alleged to '
have been committed some ten years previously,
and in which the widow and son of the head of
one of the oldest and most respected families in
the district were seriously implicated. The cir-
cumstances have now almost entirely gone from
memory, but they were talked of at the time over
the whole kingdom. A pamphlet, now rarely met
with, published in London in 1766, gives the evid-
ence at the trial, and has the following preface : —
" The singular circumstances of this case, the
atrocious nature of the crime, the great distance
of time since that crime is said to have been
committed, together with the doubtfulness and
uncertainty of the evidence, have excited the
curiosity of the public, and have occasioned the
trial's now been published."
The facts are briefly these : — At the Circuit
Court of Justiciary held at Aberdeen on 4th, 5th,
and 6th September, 1766, by Lord Kaims, one
of the Lords Commissioners of Justiciary,
Helen Watt, widow of the deceased Alexander
Keith of Northfield, and William Keith, his
eldest son, were charged with the murder of the
said Alexander Keith of Northfield. The
indictment bore that " Helen Watt, having been
espoused many years ago by the said Alexander
Keith of Northfield, a person considerably
above her rank, for his second wife, and having
brought forth several children to him, whereof
the said William Keith is one, the said deceased
Alexander Keith did execute a testament settling
certain provisions upon his second wife and her
children. That after this the said Helen Watt
and the said William Keith became impatient
for the death of the said deceased, Alexander
Keith, and the said Helen Watt was heard to
express wishes to that purpose during an
illness under which the said deceased Alexander
Keith laboured for some time, but the said
Alexander Keith not being likely to die of that
illness, the said Helen Watt his spouse, and the
said William Keith his son, d U treacherously
and wickedly .conspire to nuirder the said
deceased Alexander Keith, and in pursuance of
this their wicked intention, upon the 22nd
November, 1756, the said deceased Alexander
Keith, who was then in the same state of health
he had been in for some time, having supped
in his bed-chamber at his house of Northfield
with the said Helen Watt and the said William
Keith and some more of the family, and aftqr
supper che other persons having gone out of the
room and left the said Helen Watt and the said
William Keith with the said deceased Alexander
Keiih and two young children who were
asleep in a bed, they, the said Helen Watt and
William Keith, or one or other of them, did
wickedly murder the said Alexander Keith by
strangling him in his bed either with their hands
or with some cord or rope or napkin, or in some
other violent manner, and that the said deceased
had been so strangled was evident from the
marks of violence that appeared upon the body,
a blue spot upon the breast, and a blue or
discoloured mark quite round the neck which
must have been occasioned by strangulation, and
which appearance could not have proceeded
from the effects of any natural disease
if the said deceased had died without violence ;
and these marks of violence being discovered
upon the body the night deceased died, and
also being discovered by sundry persons
next day, who enquired what the cause of
these marks could be, the said Helen Watt
was anxious to conceal them, and pretended
to account for these marks by saying that
they had proceeded iron) laying on a blistering
plaister or dressing of a blistering plaister
with garters upon the said deceased Alexander
Keith's back or neck the night he died, although
there had been no such plaister or dressings tied
on with garters upon the deceased that evening."
She was also charged with hastening the funeral
in a most indecent manner to conceal her crime.
It was not till about ten years thereafter, viz.,
8th July, 1 766, that Helen Watt and William Keith
were apprehended and lodged in Banff prison.
The panels denied the libel. The procurators
for the defence stated that Alexander Keith of
Northfield was born about 1692 ; that about
twenty years before his death he married Helen
Watt, who bore to him a great number of
children, and with whom he always lived \ cry
happily. He had early in life contracted a h.ibit
of excessive drinking, which gradually impaired
his health, and being persisted in for a long
course of years, at length ruined a constitution
naturally lic.ilihy and strong. The physicians
informed his wife and family that his death was
near at hand, and a few days after he died.
In defence, it was stated that certain marks
on dead bodies cannot be accounted for. In this
case, moreover, the body was not examined by a
physician or any person of skill, but by ignorant,
maccurate country people by whom alone they
were said 10 have been perceived, and who now,
only after ten years, are witnessing regarding
them. It was also pleaded in defence that
during these ten years most important witnesses
for the defence had died, and that the present
Keith of Northfield gave no information to the
170
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[May, 1907
Public Prosecutor while such were alive, and has
only now brought it after their death. It was
also pleaded in behalf of the prisoners that the
motives alleged were most absurd and incredible.
Was it likely when they were informed he was
dying that they would hasten his death by
murder, merely for a few days or hours? Besides,
from the terms of his settlement, it was their
interest that he should live. Another circum-
stance was the improbability of a youth of
under eighteen years being guilty of the murder
of his father; and his character both before and
since has been irreproachable. Moreover, he
was of all his other children the most beloved
and favoured by his father, and no motive can
be alleged for his committing such a crime.
A jury having been empanelled, witnesses
were called.
Elspeth Bruce, aged 39, deponed that she
was a servant at Northfield at the time ; that
Northfield and his spouse did not live comfort-
ably together, but were often squabbling ; that
at one time she came butt the house, and said,
God that he had broke his neck when he broke
his horse's neck, and then she would not have
got so much anger by him ; that Henrietta
Keith came into the kitchen and told her that
her father had taken two spoonfuls of brose to
his supper ; that in a little time after the cry
came that he was dead — certainly within half-
an-hour. Northfield died on a Monday night,
and the burial was on the Thursday following.
The kitchen was divided from the room in which
Northfield died by a wooden partiticm, but she
heard no noise in the room the night Northfield
died. In answer to a question, she stated that
Helen Watt was the daughter of a fisherman at
Crivie. — Wm. Taylor in Darfash, aged 40 years,
saw his master Northfield the night he died, who
told him he thought himself better; that, when he
came to see him, he was sitting in the chair with
one leg above the other and a pinch of snuff
between his finger and thumb ; that, about a
fortnight before he died, Helen Watt said that
if God would not take her husband, might
the devil take him ; and that her reason for
saying so of her husband, as the deponent
conjectured, was that her husband liked a dram
too well, and was spending too much ; that he saw
a blue mark on his master about the neck when
he lifted the cloth off his face— it was about the
breadth of three fingers ; that Helen Watt said
that mark was occasioned by a string tied round
his neck for holding on a plaister ; that the
corpse was taken out of the house for interment
without advertising Mr. Wilson, the minister, or
George Keith, the eldest son, and that the corpse
was carried about a mile and a half before these
two gentlemen knew of it ; that some time after
the funeral, Wm. Keith, the panel, said to his
mother, the other panel, that if it had not been
her four quarters his father might have been
living ; that she would never get justice till she
was hung up beside Wm. Waste ; and that he
could be content to pull down her feet. — John
Strachan, wright, aged 42, made the coffin, saw
the mark on the neck, also a mark on the
defunct's breast, reaching down towards the
slot of the breast ; that the marks were of a
blackish blue, like the neck of a fowl newly
strangled. — Dr. Irvine, aged 53, physician, Banff,
deponed he never saw a bluish mark or ring
round the neck of a dead body that he could
suspect was occasioned by any sort of disease
without external violence. — James Gordon of
Techmuiry, aged 70, deponed that young
Northfield soon after his father's death wrote a
letter to the deponent suspecting that his father
was strangled by his wife and his son William. —
Mr. James Wilson, aged 70, minister of Gamrie,
deponed that young Northfield intimated to him
at the funeral that his father had not got justice
in his death; that the burial was on the Thursday
after his death ; that he and Northfield were in
an upper room, and on going to the window
observed the corpse was gone ; that both were
much surprised, but followed after as fast as they
could, young Northfield on foot and the deponent
on horseback, (At this stage, one of the jury, Wm.
Forbes of Skellater, went out of the Court and
was seen on the street going towards the New
Inn, and the agent for the defence insisted the
trial could not proceed ; but as no witness was
being examined at the time, the objection was
overruled.)— John iMair in Newton of Northfield,
aged 58, deponed that young Northfield wished
the burial to be on Saturday, and Helen Watt
wished Thursday, which latter accordingly was
done. — James Boath, tailor in Banff, aged 50,
deponed that the two panels quarrelled in his
house several years after Northfield's death ;
that the mother said to the son, "Sir," or "William,
I know as much of you as would get you hanged.*'
— Janet Watt, in Covie, aged 23, deponed that
after a quarrel between Wm. Keith and his
mother about milking the cows, he said that his
mother was a liar, a thief, and a murderer. —
Isabel Robertson, in Drochash, aged 21, deponed
that Wm. Keith lay in the same bed in which his
father died, and was so frighted with ghosts and
apparations that he got a lad to lie in the room
with him for a night or two, after which he went
to another bed.— James Irvine, aged 30, deponed
that six or seven years ago he was servant to
Wm. Keith, who complained that he could not
sleep in bed because he was troubled.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
171
The declarations made by th^ accused before
Jame5 Duff, Sheriff Clerk, were then read, which
showed that the deceased took a very little
supper, either of ale-berry or kale-brose, and
soon after died ; that there had been a blistering
plaister applied to the deceased's back, and
after it was taken away, kale-blades were
applied to the place where the plaister had been ;
and in order to keep these blades in their proper
place, they were tied on with the deceased's own
garters, which went below the armpits, and round
the farther side of the neck, and these kale-
blades and garters continued in that situation
after deceased's death until his grave linen was
made and put upon him. — John Chap, surgeon
in Old .Deer, aged 75, deponed he attended
Northfield till eight days before his death,
when he found him so ill that he thought him
a-dying, and he desired his wife not to send for
him again unless he grew better ; that he
left blistering plaisters to put upon his back ;
and that his disease was an asthma, attended
with a high fever.
The jury, by a plurality of voices, found
the panels guilty, but in respect of the said
William Keith's youth, and the presumed
influence the said Helen Watt his mother had
over him at the time of committing the murder,
they also by a plurality of voices earnestly
recommended him to the mercy of the Court.
On 6th September Lord Kaims decerned
and adjudged the said Helen Watt and Wm.
Keith to be "carried from the bar back to
the Tolbooth of Aberdeen, therein to be
detained and to be fed upon bread and water
only ; the said Helen Watt until Friday, the
17th October, and the said Wm. Keith until
Friday, the 14th November; and the said Helen
Watt, upon the said 17th October, to be taken
furth of the said Tolbooth to the common place
of execution of the burgh of Aberdeen, and
between the hours of 2 and 4 o'clock in the
afternoon to be hanged by the neck by the
hands of the common hangman upon a gibbet
till she be dead, and her body thereafter to be
delivered to Dr. David Skene, physician in
Aberdeen, to be by him dissected and anatomised;
and that Wm. Keith, on 14th November, be
similarly hanged, and thereafter his body to be
hung in chains upon a gallows on the Callow
Hill of Aberdeen."
The sentence, however, was not carried out,
for •* His Majesty, upon some favourable circum-
stances having been represented to him, was
most graciously pleased to grant a pardon to
both the convicts."
William Keith died at Aberdeen, 22nd
December, 1767. W. Cramond, LL.D.
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS ON THE
STEWART AND STUART FAMILIES.
(Continued from 2nd S., VIII., p. II4.J
The following additional references are gleaned
from William Thomas Lowndes' "Bibliographer's
Manual," published by Henry G. Bohn, York
Street, Covent Garden, London, 1864 : —
49. Tragical History of the Stuarts. 1697, 8vo.
50. The Right of Succession to the Crown of Eng-
land in the Family of Stuarts. 1723, 8vo. First
edition.
51. Remarks on a Book called ** The History of the
House of Stuart." (Oldmixon's. ) 1731, 8vo.
52. Genealogical History of the Royal Family of
Stuart. 1755.
53. Defence of the four illustrious Stuarts, Kings of
Great Britain. 1758, 8vo.
54. A View of the Evidence for proving that the
present Earl of Galloway is the lineal Heir male
and lawful Representative of Sir William Stuart
of Jedworth, so frequently mentioned in History
from the Year 1385 to the Year 1429. 1796, 410.
This privately printed tract was drawn up by
the Rev. E. Williams, Chaplain to the Earl of
Galloway.
55. Stuart Papers printed from the original in pos-
session of Her Majesty. Edited by J. H. Glover,
Royal Librarian. Vol. I. All published, and
the greater part of the edition wasted. London,
1847, 8vo. Pp. 323. Appendix, pp. 181. A
second title was given, viz., Letters by Francis
Atterbury, Bishop of Rochester, the Chevalier
St. George, and some adherents of the House
of Stuart, etc. See Life of James II., by J. S.
Clarke, D.D., p. 472.
Aberdeen.
RoBEHT Murdoch.
(S^ueties.
841. A Rebel of 1745.— Your correspondent,
Mr. R. Murdoch, gives a list of certain men who
fought at Culloden, and who were proscribed by the
Government. An ancestor of mine from Kelish-
mont, Keith, was in hiding for many months on the
Hill of Altmore near Keith, after having taken part
at Drumossie Muir. He was a mounted man, and
my grandfather, George Simpson, had all his ac-
coutrements, which included holster pistols and a
genuine Andrea Ferrara (which were all stolen in
my grandfather's time). A number of Government
soldiers lived at the farm for a long time in the hope
that they would catch their man. I wonder if this
172
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[May, 1907
particular Simpson (who was an Episcopalian) was
included in the list of "rebels'* made by the
Government. Henry Simpson.
842. Captain William Gordon, Minmore. —
In the Marischal College Register, class 1831-5,
appears the name of "Jacobus F[raser] Gordon, f.
Gul. (dem) g2'**« legionis centurionis in Glenlivat."
This William was the tenant of Minmore. Accord-
ing to his tombstone at Tombae, he died in 1829,
aged 74. The only William in the g2nd to whom
he answers is the one who, hrom an Ensigncy in the
133rd Foot, was appointed Lieutenant in the looth
Regiment, July 4, 1795 {London Gazette^ p. 705).
At that time he was a man of 41, rather a late age
for a lieutenant. From half-pay of the 92nd, he
qualified in terms of the Military Act to be Captain
in the Aberdeenshire Militia, May 2, 1803 [London
Gazette, p. 680). He seems to have rejoined the
Gordons, for William became Lieutenant in the
92nd, September 10, 1803 {ibid.y p. 1,174). Am I
right in identifying him thus ? J. M. B.
843. William Airman (2nd S., VHI., 119). —
William Aikman, 1682-1731, portrait painter, is
declared in seversil works of reference to be a native
of Cairney, Aberdeenshire. This statement is made
in such a recent and excellent book as Chambers's
'* Biographical Dictionary." Mr. Pirie, Elgin, as-
sures me that he was the son of William Aikman,
advocate, of Cairney, Forfarshire. Have you any
information on this point ? A. M.
8^. J. M. Logan. — In the "Harp of Britain,"
a damty little song-book (384 pp. ) printed at Glasgow
in 1839 by George Brookman & Co., there are
seversd original songs by J. M. Logan of Glasgow,
such as: **A Lovely Floweret Blooms by Tay,"
*'Away to the Land of the Free," "The Jewish
Maid," etc. Anything known concerning this
apparently forgotten song-writer ?
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
845. Gilbert M. Gibson. — This ingenious
gentleman was rector of the Bathgate Academy,
and in 1845 he published at Edinburgh (A. & C.
Black) the first five books of Eutropius's "Abridg-
ment of Roman History," with a learned and ex-
haustive vocabulary of 200 pages attached thereto.
I think that he was amongst the first in our country
to combine in his "Vocabulary" both the analytic
and synthetic methods of tuition, and his experiment
was extensively copied afterwards. He stated in his
preface that "Greek and Gaelic (or Celtic) are the
two main springs whence Latin in all its voluminous
flow emanates, and in his appendix he satisfactorily
proves it. He likewise alludes to some previous
book of his, an " Etymological Geography." I
would like to learn something of the personal history
of this learned and classical dialectician, but at
present to me he is simply the name of a neglected
scholar. When was the date of his decease ?
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
846. The Name Keiller. — Can you supply me
with the origin aud meaning of the name "Keiller" ?
I think it 4s a Perthshire or Forfarshire name. "We
have within seven miles of Perth a Keillor Castle,
and Easter and Wester Keillor Farms; then, in
Forfarshire, we have Inverkellor and Rankillor. I
am told that it is the same as MacKellar, and also
that it is a Celtic name for " Son of the Sup>erior,"
" Cell man," "Cellar," " Kellerman," " Seller," etc.
There is also a local tradition that the estate of
Keillor, near Methven, owes its name to the " fact"
that a hermit took up his abode on these grounds.
I
I 847. The Old Pretender. — Dpes there appear
in any of Fielding's works, and if so, which one,
a supposititious journal of the reign of the Old
Pretender ?
848. George Gordon, 8th West India Regi-
ment. — According to a War Office Return of 1828,
this officer was married at Guernsey on November
26, 1 80 1, and had a daughter, Amelia, born February
8, 182 1. In 1828 he was living in the Cabrach.
Who was this George ? J. M. B.
849. Lieut. George Gordon, 92ND High-
landers. — He married at Kingussie June 5, 1820,
and had, according to a War Office Return of 1828
(now at the Record Office) —
John, born June 29, 1821.
William Mitchell, born April 16, 1823.
Alexander, born September 6, 1827.
Who was this George ? J. M. B.
850. Thomas Duncan Gordon. — This officer in
the loth Royal Veteran Battalion, according to the '
War Office Return of 1828 (now at the Record
Office), was married at Forres July 24. 1819, and
had: —
John, born July 25, 1820.
George, born April 19, 1822.
Thomas, born December 13, 1823.
Caroline, born January 5, 1825.
Louisa, born December 25, 1827.
Who was this officer ? J. M. B.
851. Mr. Sheriff Gordon. — On February 4,
1849, " Mr. Sheriff* Gordon" presided at a meeting
in the Music Hall, Edinburgh, when addresses were
delivered to the pupils of the Apprentice Schools of
Edinburgh. Was he John Thomson Gordon (son-
in-law of Christopher North) who became Sheriff of
Midlothian in 1848? J. M. B.
852. John Moncrief of Tippermalloch. — Can
any reader of S. N. &» Q. give me information re-
garding John Moncrief of Tippermalloch ? Amongst
other works he was the author (or compiler) of "The
Poor Man's Physician, or, the Receits of the Famous
John Moncrief oi Tippermalloch ; being a Choice
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
173
Collection of Simple and Easy Remedies for most
Distempers, very useful for all Persons, especially
those of a poorer condition." The edition I have
seen is the third, and is marked *' Edinburgh: printed
for Mr. Thomas Heriot, Bookseller, in the Parlia-
ment Closs, and sold by him and other Booksellers
in Town, m.dcc.xxxi.
D. R.
853. DiPPiE Family. — Information wanted con-
cerning ancestors of David Dippie of Etal, North-
umberland, ensign in the Aberdeen Fencibles, 1800.
Was this family formerly located in Berwickshire,
and is it of Huguenot descent ?
Borderer.
854. The Place-Name Dean. — Is there a place
of this name near Edinburgh, and is anything known
of Patrick Houstoun, living at Dean in September,
1728? H. D. McW.
855. John's Coffer House, Edinburgh. —
What is known of this establishment, in existence in
1733 ? H. D. McW.
856. The Place-Name Bonington.— Is there a
place of this name near Edinburgh, and who was
the person referred to by this designation in Decem-
ber, 1739 ? H. D. McW.
857. The Bridge of Balgownie. — Where does
the couplet regarding the Bridge of Balgownie first
appear in print? John Milne, LL.D.
858. Cruden, Author of the Concordance.
— A gentleman in England, interested in Cruden,
wishes to know where he can find in print a story
regarding Cruden's mother to the effect that she had
become comatose in an illness, and, being believed
to be dead, had been buried, but came to life again
when some thieves, trying to remove her marriage
ring, began to cut off the finger it was on. This is
said to have happened before Cruden 's birth, in or
near Aberdeen, where Cruden was born in 1701.
John Milne, LL.D.
145. Chaplain Gordon of Verdun.— It is
more than five years since I asked about the identity
of** the worthy Chaplain Gordon," as he is called
by Captain Frederick Hoffman, R.N. (1793-1814),
A Sailor of King George," and it is only now
m
((
I am able to answer the question. According to
the Gentleman^s Magazine (Vol. VIII., N.S., p. 97),
he was the Rev. William Gordon (or Gorden), and
was a native of Islip. ** He matriculated as a Bible
clerk at All Saints College, Oxford, in 1788, was
afterwards a Jackson scholar and Bible clerk of
Merton College, and graduated B.A. 1792, and
M.A. 1795. In 1794 [Foster, in his " Index Ec-
clesiasticus," p. 73, gives the date as November 5,
1823] he was presented to the vicarage of Dewston,
Oxford, by Sir Henry Watkin Dashwood," 3rd bart.,
of Kirtlington Park, Oxford (1745-1828). We find
him as a subscriber to the '* Discourses on Several
Occasions," by the Rev. Sir Adam Gordon, Bart., of
Dalpholly or Invergordon. His name there appears
as " Gorden." The Gentleman's Magazine^ which
also spells it that way, goes on to say that he became
tutor to Sir Henry Dashwood's son, and accompanied
the lad to France during the short peace of 1802-3.
In 1803 they were both detained as prisoners of war,
and sent to Verdun. " During a period of eleven
years' detention in France, Mr. Gorden's discretion
and his influence with the French authorities,
founded solely on esteem for his character, enabled
him to render important services to many of his
countrymen, prisoners like himself, while his talent
for business, his readiness to oblige, his unremitting
labour in the committee of management for the
relief of the distressed English in France, as well as
the manner in which he discharged his duty as a
clergyman, won the respect and regard of all. From
the time of his return to England up to his death
he resided on his benefice, where he was most as-
siduous and attentive to the wants of his parishioners.
As a magistrate he was upright, patient, and humane,
and as a man and member of society his tenderness
of heart, his amiability, and unvarying benevolence
will cause him to be long and affectionately remem-
bered." A long list of the prisoners at Verdun is
given as an appendix to Mr. Joseph Babington
Macaulay's *'Life of the Earl of Stirling," a very
curious pamphlet published at Paignton last year.
According to this list, two other Gordons were
among the prisoners, Henry, a naval officer, and
William Henry Gordon, who appears in a list ot
" professors and language masters."
J. M. B.
347. English County Anthology (2nd S., V.,
62, 79, 94, iio, 124, 142, 157, 174; VL, 12, 30;
VII., 79, 174; VIII., 94). — Add — Traditional Tunes
j A I Collection of Ballad Airs, | chiefly obtained in
Yorkshire and the | South of Scotland ; I together
with their appropriate words | from Broaasides and
from Oral Tradition. | Collected and Edited with
Illustrative Notes, by | Frank Kidson. Oxford: |
Chas. Taphouse & Son, 3, Magdalen Street. | 1891.
174 pp. Jas. Strafford, Music and General Printer,
113 Briggate, Leeds.
Songs and Ballads | of | Northern England. | col-
lected and edited by | John Stokoe. | Harmonised
and arranged for pianoforte by | Samuel Reay, |
Mus. Bac. , Oxon. Newcastle-on-Tyne and London :
Walter Scott, Ltd. | Dedicated, I By Permission, |
To his Grace [ The Duke of Northumberland. |
198 pp., 4to. The Walter Scott Press, Newcastle-
on-Tyne. N.D. Robert Murdoch.
538. The Words of '*Cockabendy " (2nd S.,
VI., 125). — Mr. E. Leigh ton Gordon may be glad
to have the following additions to the first verse of
this bothy ballad, which circulated in Glenbuchat,
1850, and is still well known to this day : —
174
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[May, 1907
»
Dinna gi'e the lasees drink,
Dinna gi'e them brandy ;
Gi'e them sticke o' cinnamon,
And lumps o' sngar candy.
Chorus at the end of each verse —
He cock, hi cock, Hi cockabendy,
Crack
For a gill o' brandy.
The words amissing are not suitable for reproduc-
tion here, hence omission. If querist possesses in-
formation on rhymes and bothy ballads, I trust he
will become a member of the Rymour Club, and
enrich their transactions. As far as I am aware
neither words nor music of this spirited bothy ballad
have appeared in print elsewhere.
Robert Murdoch.
792. Gordon House, Kentish Town, London
(2nd S., VIII., 91). — It is not known how this house
(in Highgate Road) came to be called by the name of
Gordon, but by a curious coincidence it is now
occupied by an Aberdeenshire man, Dr. Adam
Alexander, M.B., CM., son of George Alexander,
Fyvie. He says: — **The St. Pancras Borough
Council asked me some time ago to Bnd out about
one Gordon who is said to have lived here, but I
could find no trace. Lords FitzRoy and Lennox
often appear in the deeds. The house is old, and
the tenants used to have the privilege of hawking,
fishing, and shooting on Parliament Hill and Fields.
B.
793. Edith Aitxbn (2nd S., VIII., 91, in).—
This lady, now Mrs. Bunten, is at present living in
Glasgow, where she teaches elocution. Her husband,
to whom she was married when in Australia, has
been dead several years. See an article in the
Dundee Weekly NewSy March 30, 1907, entitled
" Glasgow's Greatest Actress : Miss Aitken's Stirring
Life Story. Recollections of Plays and Players."
W.
809. Capt. George Gordon, R.N., of Green-
haugh (2nd S., VIII., 126). — He served as midship-
man on board the *' Blanche " frigate, on which he
was wrecked and taken prisoner near Ushant on the
night of March 4, 1807. O" ^^^^ occasion about
forty-five seamen and marines perished, one-third of
whom through drunkenness. He was made lieuten-
ant November 26, 1810 ; appointed to the Flagship of
the Commander-in-Chief at Plymouth June 4, 18 11,
and from thence promoted Commander January 9,
1815. (John Marshall's "Roy. Nav. Biog.," IV.,
part I, p. 34I ; Naval Chronicle, Vol. XVII., p.
319.) He was still holding the rank of Commander
when he died 1839-40. (List of deaths ofHcially
reported after June 30, 1840— Navy List, October,
1840.) He is possibly the *' Capt. George Gordon,"
R.N., who married December 22, 1815, at Edinburgh,
Miss Anne Gordon, Hanover Square {Gentleman^ s
Magazine)^ as there was no other George Gordon in
the Navy List at that time.
C. O. Skelton.
811. Longmore Family (2nd S. VIII., 126). —
Barbara Gordon and James Longmore had a family
of four sons and four daughters. Mr. Leith Emslie
Longmore, farmer, Baldavie, is a son. By the way.
Mrs. Longmore was said to belong to Cocklarachy,
in Drumblade parish. J. Y.
823. Cardno Family (2nd S., VIII., 141). — I
am of opinion that Cardno is a variation of the older
form Cardney. In the 14th century Marion (or
Mariot) de Cardney, mistress of Robert II. of Scot-
land, to whom she bore three sons (Crawfurd's
'' Shire of Renfrew "), is described as the daughter
of John de Cardney of that ilk. The estate of
Cardnye was in Aberdeenshire, probably in or near
the parish of Skene. Eccentric spelling or local
pronunciation might easily transmute Cardney into
Cardno. J. J.
824. LuNAN Families (2nd S., VIII., 141). —
Your correspondent can make a beginning on
Jervise — " Epitaphs,'' I., 212-3, 375 ; ^^' Walker —
" Life of Rev. John Skinner," 26, 120-2, and *' Life
of Bishop John Skinner," 6, 15, 16 ; " Year Book of
Episcopal Church in Scotland," 1904, p. 182 ; King's
College "Roll of Alumni and Graduates"; Marischal
College "Fasti," II. The "Diary of the Rev.
Alexander Lunan " in the Diocesan Library at
Brechin is very valuable and interesting. I fortun-
ately took a full synopsis of it, and it gives a pleasant
picture of the parson, first at BlairdafT, and then at
Inglismaldie. It should be printed.
James Gammack, LL. D.
West Hartford, Conn.
Any tradition respecting the Lunans inevitably
carries one back to the days when Scotland was
groaning beneath the yoke of Romish persecution.
Walter Mill, priest of Lunan, and the last martyr
for the faith before the Reformation, is reported,
before his death, to have given utterance to words,
which were interpreted in the light of a prophecy, to
the effect that, though his body perished, the cause
for which he died would go on and prosper. To this
prophetic testimony, the appearance of Lunans
studying at Aberdeen University, several of them
with a view to becoming ministers, would, in popu-
lar estimation, seem to furnish an adequate fulfil-
ment. For the life and dying sayings of Walter
Mill see Foxe's " Book of Martyrs," Howie's " Scots
Worthies," and Scott's " Martyrs of Angus and
Mearns." It need hardly be added that the Roman-
ism, which our forefathers so much dreaded, is
no longer so great a bugbear to their enlightened
descendants. . R. Y.
825. Anderson Families in Aberdeenshire
(2nd S., VIII., 141}. — No genealogical chart of the
Anderson family is known to me. The author of
"The Scottish Nation" has a work entitled "Genea-
logy and Surnames," which might be consulted.
The "Retours" and the various '* Registers of
Testaments " might also be of value. In an early
number of S. iV. &» Q. (ist S., Vol. III.) an inquirer.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
175
asking about Andersons in Aberdeenshire, was re-
ferred to Colonel AUardyce, 3 Queen's Terrace,
Aberdeen, for information. Perhaps the same source
might still be available for '* W."
D. B.
826. James Watson, Printer, Edinburgh
(2nd S., VIII., 141).— If Mr. Calder Ross has not
already ascertained the local habitation of Watson's
•' Memorial," he might do well to visit the Historical
and Antiquarian Department of the Register House,
Edinburgh, the curator of which is the Rev. John
Anderson. There, possibly, the ** Memorial" may
be preserved. The Department is open from 10 to
4 o'clock. S.
827. Andrew Bisset (and S., VIII., 141). — I
am unable to discover any notice of the death of this
distinguished writer. Neither the •' Dictionary of
National Biography" nor Boase\s " Modern English
Biography" makes mention of his name. I have
examined an index to the obituary notices in The
Times for 1899, 1900, and 1901, but without success.
The "Law List'' mentioned by "Alba" seems to
be the only chronicle (such as it is) of his decease or
disappearance. This is all the more strange when
one considers his eminence as a writer. The follow-
ing facts, supplementary to " Alba's" note, may not
be ^\'ithout interest. He studied at Aberdeen Uni-
versity before going to Cambridge. In addition to
the publications named by ** Alba," he also wrote
(i) " Omitted Chapters of the History of England,"
1864, 2nd edition 1867, 2 vols.; (2) •* History of the
Commonwealth of England," 1867, 2 vols. ; (3)
'* History of the Struggle for Parliamentary Govern-
ment in England," 1877, 2 vols.; (4) " Short History
of the English Parliament," 1877, 2 vols.; (5) "Notes
on the Anti-Corn Law Struggle," 1884. A high
authority called him "one of the most critical oi
modern English historical writers." Green, the
historian, names his "History of the Commonwealth"
as an authority for the period which it covers, and
terms the book a "vigorous defence of the Council
of .State." Mr. Bisset's last published work, so far
as known to me, appeared in 1884, but even before
that date the process of disappearance had seemingly
begun, because, in a London Directory for 1881, I
find the name of Walter Bisset, but no mention of
Andrew Bisset as residing in London.
Chappie.
829. Patrick Grant, Lord ILlchies (2nd S.,
VIII., i42).~The "Dictionary of National Bio-
graphy" and Anderson's " Scottish Nation " contain
brief sketches of Lord Elchie.s. He is also alluded
to in Ty tier's " Life of Lord Kames." So far as I
am aware, no portrait of him is in existence.
G. H.
830. Dr. Peter Grant (2nd S., VIII., 142).—
Dr. Peter Grant was, I believe, a student at Aber-
deen University, where he graduated M.D. in 1790.
He served in the army. J. H.
831. Joseph Gordon (2nd S., VIII., 142).—
Joseph Gordon, father of George W. Gordon, the
"Jamaica Martyr," is stated to have been a native
of Inverness-shire. He was a planter in Jamaica,
where he resided for more than half a century.
George W. Gordon's mother was a slave. See
" Personal Recollections of the Hon. George W.
Gordon, late of Jamaica," London, 1867. A recently
issued publication, "The Book of Mackay," may
perhaps furnish some information about the other
Joseph Gordon inquired after in the query.
J. F. M.
835. Miss Gordon, Ruby Cottage (2nd S.,
VIII., 157). — The small estate of Auchnacant in the
parish of Finzean, which was owned, along with
Arnage, by the Sibbalds and afterwards by the
Rickarts, came eventually, I think, to Mercers (I am
writing from memory), one of whom, I think, married
the Admiral Sir J. A. Gordon you refer to in
S. N. 6* Q. of this month. A daughter of this
couple, I thmk, married a Captain or Major West,
whose representatives, I believe, still possess it.
A. J. Mitchell-Gill.
836. "The Standard Habbie " (2nd S., VIII.,
157). — I cannot answer "Alba's" question regarding
the stanza he designates as above, but that, at an
early period in Scottish history, a stanza of the same
type, though in one respect distinct from it, was
popular among the "makars" of that country, may
be inferred from the fact that Fabyan, an English
chronicler, quotes the following rhyme as having
been a favourite song among the Scottish common
people, and sung (he says) " in derision of the
English ":—
ilaydens of Englande, sore may ye inome
For your lemnmns lost at Bannockysbonni,
With hew a lowe !
What ! Weneth the Kinf? of England
So soon to have won Scotland ?
With nimbylowe !
" Thys songe," continues Fabyan, " was after many
daies song in daunces in the carols of the mai lens
and mynstrilles of Scotland, to reprofe and disd lyne
of Englyshmen, with dyuers others whych I nuer-
passe." I find also, in the " Harp of Renfrewsliire "
(ist Series), Appendix No. I. (1872), a series of
archaic verses written in this same stanza. They
are styleil •• Tat Gestc of Schir Gormalyn and the
Reid Woulff at the Warldis End." The date of
this poem is not given, but the chances are that, if
not a clever imitation, it was written some time in
the 15th century. The first verse runs thus : —
Lythe and linten feeriaal.
In <yihat manere thirlit in thralls,
Wes ane Scoots May fair,
He ane reid Woulff, ane ngsani fendc,
Liggand nie the warldis end ;
Quhyll ane knicht freeni did wend
Thilk woulfiis hert till tore.
From the character of the language in many of the
stanzas, I incline to think it to have been an imita-
tion, probably the work of Motherwell. But even if
so, taken as it should be along with Fabyan*s verse,
m*
m^
iW
mm^mm
176
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[May, 1907
it seems to suggest the origin of what " Alba '' calls
"The Standard Habbie."
Dollar. W. B. R. W.
'*The Gude and Godlie Ballatis," attributed to
the three Wedderburns, and published, it is believed,
in a crude form before 1546, were probably ante-
cedent in time to anything produced by Alexander
Scot. According to the most recent authorities,
Scot, born about 1525 and died about 1584, may
possibly have been a native of Stirling, but in
every respect conjecture plays a conspicuous part
in his life and literary activity. He is claimed as
belonging to Edinburgh, and also to Forfarshire,
out of a mischievous propensity, perhaps, to rob a
poorly endowed county, like Stirlingshire, for the
benefit of other more favoured localities, already
sufficiently enriched with the "gihs from the gods."
Scot can hardly have published much before 1560,
and there is good reason to believe that the " Gude
and Godlie Ballatis '' preceded even the earliest of
his poems. One of these " Ballatis," or spiritualised
songs, is cast in the same measure as that made
familiar to us in the ** Elegy on Habbie Simson."
I quote the first verse : —
Rycht Burelie muayng in my luyude,
For pietie sore my hart is pynde
Quhen I remember on Christ sa kynde,
That savit me :
Nane culd me saif from thyne till Ynde
Bot onlie he.
In regard to " Alba's" query, Was Scot the first
*' makar " of this measure in Scotland ? the answer,
I think, must be in the negative. At the same time,
it would be quite unsaie to contend for the original
of such compositions being found in the *' Gude and
Godlie Ballatis." I would venture to suggest that
the model for all compositions of the kind may be
found among the early Miracle Plays, which in
former days exercised so powerful an influence on
the religion, taste, and literary culture of the people
of this country. W. S.
Xiteratute.
Preliminary and Intermediate Aritktnetic^
for Civil Sen^ice and other Public Examinations.
By W. Stewart Thomson, M.A. Third edition.
IS. 6d. net. Aberdeen : Lewis Smith & Son.
1907.
The author has kept in mind that his task was
to prepare students for certain examinations.
One thing required at all such examinations is
expert and accurate work. There is, therefore, a
sufficient numbtfl' of mere mechanical exercises,
needing no cogitation before attacking them.
Stocks and interest, not being required, are not
treated of. • The candidates are, however, ex-
pected to be familiar with common foreign
weights and measures, and many exercises upon
these are introduced. In Part I. there arc
problems in proportional parts, percentages,
averages, vulgar and decimal fractions, con-
tracted methods of division, etc., which are solved
as examples; and Part II. contains numerous
e.xercises to be solved in the same manner.
Evolution is seen in examination papers as
well as in organised bodies, and the author has
not ^iven a compilation of past papers, but has
studied them to find the trend of the direction
in which examiners are going, and prepared the
student for anticipating his exammer instead
of following him — closely, perhaps, but always
behind him.
Scots JBoohs of tbc /liontb.
Balfour-Melville of Pilrl;, Barbara. The
Balfours of Pilrig: a History for the Family.
Crown 4to. Net, 25s. Edinburgh : Wm. Brown.
Birch, Walter de Gray, LL.D., F.S.A. His-
tory of Scottish Seals. Vol. II. Illustrated. 4to.
Net, i2s. 6d. Eneas Mackay.
Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles. Heraldry Ex-
plained. 114 Figures in Text. 8vo. Net, is.
T. C. & E. C. Jack.
Matthews, John (Editor). American Armoury
and Blue Book. [Contains several references to
Scottish- Americans.] 8vo. Net, 20s.
London :
John Matthews, 93 and 94 Chancery Lane.
Redfern, Owen. The Wisdom of Sir Walter.
Criticisms and Opinions collected from the Waver-
ley Novels and Lockhart's " Life of Sir Walter
Scott." With Introduction by Rev. John Watson,
D.D. 8vo. Net, 5s. A. & C. Black.
Shepherd, J. H., M.A. Introduction to the
Historyof the Church in Scotland. 8vo. 2s. 6d.
London :
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.
Sidgwick, Frank (Editor). Ballads and Poems
illustrating English History. Extra foolscap 8vo.
Pp. viii. +212. IS. 6d.
Cambridge University Press.
NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.
All communications should be accompanied by an
identifying name and address. As publication day
is the 25th of each month, copy should be in a few
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Literal^ comuiuuications should be addressed to Uie JG^tfitor,
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SCOTTISH
NOTES AND QUERIES.
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2Dd 8BRIW.J ^^^- *'^*
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ilBQIBTBBBD
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CONTENTS.
NOTW:—
Mariflchal College Bdfry ^^
A BibUograpby of Bdinburgh Periodical Literature 179
Bibliography of Clan Literature : with Notes 183
Notoble Men and Women of Forfarshire 186
Bibliography of Aberdeen Periodicals 188
MmoR Notes :—
Scottish Poets 178
Myles Macphall — Ancient Grave — Another
"Wicked" Bible 182
Butler's " Lobster" SiroUe 183
The Dorian Way 186
Gavin Turreff : Antiquary and Author 188
Blbliogi-aphy of Aberdeen Periodicals 189
QCERIXS :—
Sir Janies Livingston— Shank House, near Edin-
burgh-Sir Alexander Kamsay— Latervandeck—
Nineteen Years' Leases 189
ANSWERS :—
The Gordons of Manar— English County Anthology—
Longmore Family 189
Caddell, aliaa MacPherson— Cardno Family-
Patrick Grant, Lord Elchies— The Wonl "Pony" 190
The Cummings of Cutter— Scots Bpiscopacy—
Miss Gordon, Suby Cottage— "The Standard
Habbie"— Huntly In Bombay— William Aikman 191
ITie Dean (or Den>— John's Coffee House—
Bonnington— Cruden, Author of the Concor-
dance 192
Scots Books of the Month 192
NO TICE,
We regret that^ on account of an increased
cost to produce^ lue are compelled to raise the
price of SCOTTISH NOTES &- QUERIES.
It will in future be 4d. per copy— Postage
additional.
ABERDEEN, fUNE, 1907.
MARISCHAL COLLEGE BELFRY.
Among the nun)erous interesting publications
called forth by the Quatercentenary of Aber-
deen University, I do not find any mention of
the fate of the belfry which for so many years
stood on Marischal College, and the bell which
hung in it, and I think it may be interesting to
note what became of the belfry after the College
was rebuilt in 1836-40 from the designs of
Archibald Simpson, architect.
From the College minute book, under date
2nd August, 1836, it appears that Mr. Alexander
Rainnie was declared contractor for the whole
of the new buildings for the sum of ;£2 1,420,
and by the contract, dated 9th September, 1836,
the old buildings were given up to the con-
tractor, "with the exception of the glass cases
and other movable presses and furniture, in-
cluding shelves in and about the same, and also
with the exception of the cupolas and frames of
the present observatory and other fixtures there-
in, connected in any respect with the instruments
within the same ; and of the cupola and bell,
inscription stones on the walls, and the chimney
frame of the hall, all of which they specially
reserve and retain." And on nth July, 1844,
Mr. Rainnie grants to the Commissioners for
rebuilding the College a discharge for the full
payment of the contract price.
Upon the old College, at that time demolished
to make way for the new one, there stood above
the clock, as shown by the engraving in Wilson's
"Historical Account and Delineation of Aber-
deen, 1822,'' the belfry or cupola above re-
ferred to, although it seems to be doubtful at
what period it was erected. In the " Handbook
to City and University'' published in connection
with the Quatercentenary celebrations, Septem-
ber, 1906, Mr. Walker, the esteemed secretary
of the University Court, at page 23 says : " Of
the buildings" (i.e., the buildings as completed
in 1 741) "thus altered and extended, a great part
were still standing sixty years ago, by which time
they had become wholly insufficient and unsuit-
able, and were condemned. All that we possess
now are two inscriptions, the one, *APBTH
ATTAPKHS' (i.e., * Virtue is self-sufficient'},
in the vestibule, immediately under the large
window ; the other, reproduced overleaf in fac-
simile from a photograph, the defiant motto of
Earl Marischal, that may also be read in the
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
vestibule, over the archway that faces the main
entrance at the base of the Mitchell Tower," the
motto being the well-known "Thay haif said,
what say thay, lat hame say." The two inscrip-
tions Mr. Walker mentions are no doubt the
" inscription stones on the walls " named in the
College minute above referred to.
But Mr. Walker does not seem to be aware
that the "inscription stones" are not the only
part of the old buildings still extant, although
no longer possessed by the University, for the
belfry or cupola still stands, cracked a. little in
one part, but nevertheless sound and capable of
carrying a bell, were that method of summons
not now superseded by the siren or steam
whistle. Notwithstanding the reservation of the
cupola and bell duly minuted, it would appear
(hat the contractor must have got possession
ultimately of the former, for he sold it to Messrs.
Alex. Pine & Sons, paper manufacturers, Stoney-
wood Works, near Bucksbum, as the following
entry in their cash book shows : —
1B40.
Dec 31. ByAI. Rannie.fbr Belfry of
Marischal College - - £iQ a a
Messrs. Pirie were about that time adding to
their works, and the additions were so designed
as to show a belfry crowning the front elevation,
and there the old belfry was once more erected,
and still stands where it has stood for sixty-seven
years, and as shown in the accompanying photo-
graph taken in March of this year.
Thus far the belfry, but there is no mention
of the sale of the bell, and 1 have no reason to
suppose that it was sold by the contractor along
with the belfry, and if not, what has become
of it? William Garden, M.A.
•ScoiTiyH Poets (2nd S., VIII., 148).— Those
readers of i". N. &• Q. who possess a full set
will find in [St Series, II., •33 (November, 1888),
an account of this interesting publication. As
there are probably many of your readers besides
"Alba" who are not so fortunate, I will sum-
marise that account. "The Society of .Ancient
Scots'' was composed of a select number of
natives of Scotland resident in London. One
requirement for a candidate desirous of becom-
ing a member was that his application should
be accompanied by an original memoir, written
by himself, of some Scotsman eminent in arts
or arms, letters or science, and this specimen of
his qualifications was read before the society at
a meeting previous to that on which the ballot
was to be taken. The result was that the society
had on hand a lar^e number of memoirs of
poets, historians, philosophers, etc., which had
been handed in since the re-establishment of
the society in 1770, down to the time when they
resolved to publish them in 1830. It was de-
cided to publish the poets tirst, then the his-
torians, philosophers, etc., but they evidently
slopped at the poets. Arthur Sempil was ihe
secretary of the society, and to him was intrusted
the work of publication. My set is in six parts,
in the original paper binding, and the account
of the society is printed on the inside of the
front and back cover. On the back of the
covers is an advertisement of the " Percy Anec-
dotes," just published by the same publisher,
Thomas Boys, 7 Ludsate Hill. The first five
parts are dated 1821, the sixth 182Z.
George St. ]. Bremner,
San Francisco, Cal.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
'79
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EDINBURGH
PERIODICAL LITERATURE (V., 20, etc.)
(Continued from 2nd S., Vol. VIII,, p. 168.)
[Supplementary. ]
1774. The Edinburgh Repository, or, Fortnight's
Magazine. No. i. Wednesday, March 2, 1774.
Price 4d. Edinburgh : John Wotherspoon, at the
printing house, Advocates' Close, Luckenbooths.
The Repository vrzs a periodical on the same
lines as the Scots Magazine, It contained general
and literary articles, tales, and poetry. It was
published by subscription, and proposals lor its
appearance were sent out a month in advance,
"gratis," as the advertisements carefully state.
It was not the first Scottish attempt to establish a
periodical which, by its fortnightly issue, would
evade the newspaper tax. An earlier attempt in
Dundee had failed, and no better fate awaited the
Repository f for it "did not last above three months."
1774. The Gentleman and Lady^s Weekly Maga-
zine, No. I. Friday, January 28, 1774. 32 pp.
8vo, double columns. Price 2}d. The weekly
issues had no imprint. The title-page to the
volumes, of which there were five, lx>re, '* Edin-
burgh: printed by William Auld." The motto of
the magazine was from Shakespeare : ** To hold,
as 't were, the mirror up to Nature; to shew Virtue
her own features, Scorn her own image, and the
very age and body of Time his form and pressure."
With the second volume, April 29, 1774, the day
ol publication was changed to Wednesday. The
weekly issues were bound up into four annual
volumes.
This weekly magazine owed its existence to the
success of the Scots Magazine, and was meant as
a rival to Ruddiman^s Weekly Magazine, It gave
a good deal of space to news and essays, and
freely opened its columns to correspondents. At
the end of the first volume its conductor, who
is understood to have been ** Balloon'' Tytler,
speaks of ** the encouragement we have already
met with." He had several times to rebuke his
contributors for literary theft. The journal is truly
called " a miscellany," for all was grist that came
to its mill, and it borrowed from all sides.
We won't regard if wit be old or new,
But blame the false an 1 value still the true.
Each number devoted several pages to poetry.
The magazine did not commend itself, and it
was dropped on March 29, 1775, Vol. 5., No. 13.
The only indication of its suppression was the
notice on the last page : *' End of the Filth Volume,
and the conclusion of this work."
1776. The Caledonian Gazetteer. No. i. Friday,
May 31, 1776. 4 pp. folio, 3 columns to the page.
Imprint: '* Edinburgh : printed for and by John
Robertson, and sold at his printing house in the
Parliament Close, where advertisements and sub-
scriptions are taken in. Price 2^6."
As has been already explained (S. N. dfQ., 2nd
.S., VIII., 73), the Gazetteer arose out of the ex-
tended enterprise of the Caledonian Mercury. The
proprietor found that he could not overtake the
printing of all the news, advertisements, and essays
placed at his disposal for the latter journal. He
required more space, but he was faced with the
possibility of losing subscribers if he published
oftener in the week. They might be willing to
buy three weekly numbers, but not six. He met
the difficulty by starting the Gazetteer. As he
said:
"He resolved, therefore, to publish two separate papeis,
leaving every person to take either or both as he may
think proper. The Caledonian Mercury, therefore, will
continue to be published, as at present, every Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday, and another paper, under the
title of the Caledonian Gazetteer, will be published every
Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday."
Care was to be exercised that the same matter
should not be printed in both journals, but in
general appearance the papers were hardly dis-
^ tinguishable. At the same time the proprietor
promised that the new journal would be merged in
the Mercury should the sales warrant such a course
This would turn the latter into a daily.
The enterprise did not succeed, and RQbertson
withdrew the Gazetteer within a month. Iri/all,
thirteen numbers were issued, the last being diLted
Friday, June 28, 1776. The difficulty arose from
the dependence of the Edinburgh journals on those
of London. No post arrived from the English
metropolis on Thursday, and it was almost im-
possible to procure '*copy" for a Friday issue.
At first a compromise was attempted. The
Gazetteer was suppressed and the Mercury sent
out every lawful day except Thursday, but, as has
already been shown, the Mercury reverted to its
former style of publication within a few weeks.
1777. Ruddiman*s Weekly Mercury. No. i. Thurs-
day, July 3, 1777. 16 pp. 8vo, 2 cols, to page,
price 3d. No imprint appeared on the first twelve
issues. That on No. 13 and onwards was ** Edin-
burgh : printed for and by Walter and Thomas
Ruddiman, and sold by them at their printing
office. Forester's Wynd." On December 8 ap-
peared a supplement named Ruddiman^ s Weekly
Mercury Extraordinary, 16 pp., same size. On
August 20 the day of publication was changed to
Wednesday. A cover was used, and after a few
numbers all advertisements were confined to it.
The circumstances out of which the Mercury
arose have already been detailed (S. N. &* Q., 2nd
S., VIII., 167). As was to be expected, the pub-
lisher made the most of the proceedings that had
been taken against him. Before the first number
was issued, he sent out a gratis number, in which
he gave ** a broad hint, in a short allegory, of the
origin, progress, and issue of the prosecution
against us.' His second number gave details of
the case, without the allegory. No. x gloried
i8o
SCOTTISH NOTE AND QUERIES
{June, 1907
in the martyrdom to which the paper had been
subjected. It
"now wean the badge of slavery [i.e., the red news-
paper stamp]. He is thus running his quarantine of
reformation like the convicts on the Thames, but with*
this difference, that he cannot, alas ! like them, see an i
end of his servitude."
The editor boasts that ** it came out in the course
of the trial that the circulation of the Weekly
Magazine was nearly equal to that of all the Edin-
burgh newspapers put together." There was to
be no alteration in the plan of the journal, even
although the old magazine had become bifurcated.
" We have all along made it our study to arrange the
materials of our history in a more methodical manner
than is commonly done. This plan we Intend still to
pursue. We shall at the same time endeavour to make
as Judicious a selection of probable or authentic in-
telligence as in our power."
The conductors continued the small size, although
that did not give the journal *'the air of a news-
paper," but ere long they were forced to conform
to the usual standard. They made the London
Chronicle their model, and on Wednesday, Decem-
ber 31, 1777, sent out the Mercury enlarged to
4to, 8 pp., 3 cols, to the page, the price remaining
at 3d. The imprint was the same, although it
was changed to " Thomas Ruddiman & Company"
on July 31, 1782. In announcing the change to
the larger size, the publisher says : —
"After six months* experience, we find It [the else]
both incommodious for [subscribers] and still more so
for ourselves, as it has been attended with much
trouble in the execution, and much hindrance in the
dispatch. We have therefore transformed it Into a
downright newspaper. . . . The Weekly Mercury
reaches every comer of Scotland."
How long the Mercury lasted has not been dis-
covered. On January 2, 1782, the editor said he
provided *' the most authentic information on
every subject which composes the motley farrago
of a newspaper," and issues have been seen up to
December 18, 1782. Constable's "Catalogue"
indicates that it was continued for a time in 1783.
In all probability the paper did not last much
longer. Ruddiman had died in 1781, and the
Weekly Magazine itself disappeared during 1784.
Arnot says that the circulation stood at from 1,800
to 2,000 when he wrote in 1779.
1779. The Mirror, No. i, Saturday, January 23,
1779. Motto — Quis novus hie hospes? — Virg. 4
pp. folio, price i^d each. Printed in large type
on good paper, across the page. ** Edinburgh :
Published by William Creech, by whom communi-
cations from correspondents are received." No.
2, Saturday, January 30, 1779 ; thereafter every
Tuesday and Saturday, except from Saturday
August 21, 1779 (No. 60), to Tuesday, December
7, when publication was suspended. No. 5 was
published on Wednesday, because the Tuesday of
that week was kept as a national fast. The
title page issued when the journal ended bore the
words : — ** Tht Mirror : a Periodical Paper.
VeluH in Specula. Edinburgh : Printed for William
Creech^' The amount of matter in each number
varied considerably, some numbers having the
lines crowded together. No. i had 39 lines to the
page, but that number was frequently exceeded.
Press of matter often left no room for the imprint.
Several numbers were reprinted in a' second
edition. The original issue makes up a noble
folio.
The Mirror arose in the hands of a select
coterie, all of whom were connected with the
Scottish bar, except the editor, the well-known
Henry Mackenzie, the " Man of Feeling." In the
concluding number Mackenzie thus states how the
periodical actually began : —
"The idea of publishing a periodical paper in Edin-
burgh took its rise in a company of gentlemen whom
particular circumstances of connection brought fre-
quently together. Their dlscoarse often turned upon
subjects of manners, taste, and of 'literature. By one
of thoee accidental resolutions of which the origin
cannot easily be traced, it was determined to put their
thoughts into writing, and to read them for tne enter-
tainment of each other. Their essays assumed the
form, and soon after someone gave Uiem the name,
of a periodical publication : the writers of it were
naturally associated ; and their meetings increased
the importance, as well as the number of their pro-
ductions. Cultivating letters in the midst of business,
composition was to them an amusement only ; that
amusement waa heightened by the audience which
this society afforded : the idea of publication sumested
itself as productive of still higher entertainment."
It is understood that William Craig suggested the
undertaking.
The writer of the biographical notice of George
Home in "Chambers's Biographical Dictionary"
states that he had information concerning the club
from Lord Bannatyne, its last survivor. For a
time the club was named the '* Tabernacle," but
afterwards adopted the designation of the ** Mirror
Club. " It was the days of such clubs, but surely
Edinburgh could not have produced another of
like talent and culture. In addition to Mackenzie,
it included several who afterwards rose to eminence
on the bench — Lords Abercromby, Wedderburn,
Bannatyne, CuUen, and Craig. To these were
added as contributors to the journal Lords Hailes
and Woodhouselee, Prof. Richardson of Glasgow,
and David Hume, the nephew of the philosopher.
Great secrecy was observed in all the transactions
of the club. They frequently changed their place
of meeting to add to the mystification. They
gathered ** sometimes in Cleriheugh's, in Writers'
Court ; sometimes in Somers', opposite the Guard
House in the High Street; sometimes in Stewart's
Oyster House in the Old Fishmarket Close, and
fully as often perhaps in Lucky Dunbar's, a
moderate and obscure house in an old alley leading
betwixt Forrester's and Libberton's Wynd." *
Equal reticence was observed as to the authorship
of the various papers. The publisher's successor
in business declared that even Creech himself did
not know at the time who the authors were, t
Lord Abercromby gives an amusing account of
the meetings oi the club. ** I can never forget,
tf
* Chambers's "Biographical Dictionary," «.v. "Craig."
t Creech's "Fugitive Pieces."
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
i8i
he says, " the pleasure we enjoyed in meeting to
read our papers in the club. There they were
criticised with perfect freedom, but with the
greatest good humour. When any of us produced
a paper which, either from the style or manner of
of it, or from the nature of the subject, seemed
inadmissable, it was condemned without hesitation,
and the author, putting it in his pocket, drank a
bumper to its manes. We had stated meetings to
receive the communications with which we were
honoured, which afforded another source of
amusement. This pleasure, however, was not
without alloy. We were often, from particular
circumstances, obliged to reject compositions of
real merit ; and what perhaps was equally distress-
ing, we were sometimes obliged to abridge or alter
the papers which we published."*
The object of the Mirror was succinctly stated
in the first issue :
" I propose in the following papers ' to bold, aa 't wero,
the Mirror up to nature, to show virtue her own
featcwes, vice her own image, and the very age and
body of the time his form and preaiure ' ! . . Thia is
a field which, however extensively and iu'lieiously
cultivated by my predecessors, may still produce
something new."
The plan was indeed old, whatever may
have been its mode of execution. The writers
never lost sight of a didactic purpose, and were
always pointing a moral according to the fashion
of the time. Their efforts have been described as
•* not very humourous, mildly facetious, politely
moralising, with literary reviews which were
seriously critical." As Abercromby shows, the
editor assumed to himself the right of altering
what he desired to print, and in No. 7 stated that
" acceptance or refusal of an essay is no criterion of its
menit, nor of the opinion in which it is held by the
editor. A performance may be improper for the
Mirror, as often on account of its rising above as of
falling below the level of such a work, which is
peculiarly circumscribed, not only in its subjects, but
in the manner of treating them.'
One or two contributions remained anonymous,
and if these be excluded, the authors numbered
thirteen only. Mackenzie wrote 38 essa3r8, Craig
17, and Abercromby 11.
"The Mirror men," as they were called, made
the Spectator their model. Sir Walter Scott
named its editor "the Scottish Addison," and
there is something odd in the fact that a direct
charge of plagiarism from Addison has been
advanced against Mackenzie, t That the resemb-
lance of the Mirror to the Spectator is more than
that of mere plan seems to have been suggested
while the Mirror itself was running. At any rate,
Mackenzie inserted in No. 96 a letter in which he
makes fun of such a possible accusation. He
makes his correspondent say that her cousin had
informed her that the first number " was copied
from the first paper of the Spectator, and upon
looking into both, we found them exactly the same,
all about the author and the work from beginning
to the end." He closes the letter with "your
* Lounger, No. 30, August 27, 1
\ Notes and Querieg mi S.,n.
1785.
very last number was to be found, every word of
it, in Johnston's Dictionary " !
There can be no doubt, however, about the re-
ception the periodical met with. The Scottish
capital bought it and rejoiced over it. It was can-
vassed in clubs and coffee houses. It spread into
the country and even created a stir in London.
Abercromby tells how he was one day in Cadell's
London shop, when a certain noble lord asked the
bookseller if he had any information as to the au-
thorship of the Mirror papers. All that the shop-
man could say was that all the literati of Scotland
were concerned in its production,* which answer
was probably as near the truth as was possible.
Immediately after the appearance of the first two
numbers, they were reproduced in the Scots
Magazine, which added a note giving the location
in its own pages of the introductory papers of the
Rambler, the Tatlcr Revived, etc, and recom-
mending its readers to compare the new with the
old. It assured them that ** our country will not
suffer by the comparison." Creech, the publisher,
who ought to have known, stated that the paper
"met with much public approbation."
The last number. No. no, was published on
Saturday, May 27, 1780, with the promise that
*' some time hence will be published the Mirror in
volumes." In the valedictory number Mackenzie
suggests reasons for thediscontinuance — the critical
condition of the nation, the anonymity of the
writers, etc. Perhaps there was a certain shabbi-
ness in the following :
" The place of its publication was in several respects
disadvantageous We do not easily allow a
title to instruct or to amuse the public in our neighbour
with whom we have been accustomed to compare our
own abilities. Hence the fastidiousness with which in
a place so narrow as Edinburgh, home productions are
commonly received, which if they are grave are pro-
nounced dull, if pathetic are called unnaturaf, if
ludicrous are termed low."
There is a suspicion that want of sufficient financial
support may also have had something to do with
the withdrawal of the paper, for when the Lounger,
a paper of exactly the same size and style, was
begun, each number was priced 2d. However it
came aboiit, the Edinburgh public mourned over
the demise. When, some time later, the whole
periodical was reprinted in i2mo volumes, they
were eagerly bought up. The promoters received
such a handsome sum for the copyright when they
disposed of it that they were able to hand £100 of
the proceeds to the Orphan Hospital, and buy a
hogshead of wine for their own use.t That they
had been proud of the periodical is shown by the
fact that they annually observed its anniversary by
dining on the day the first number had been issued.
Reprints soon appeared in London and Dublin,
and before 18 13 Creech and his successor had
published eleven editions. Since that time further
impressions have been sent out
26 Circus Drive, W. J. Couper.
Glasgow.
* Lcunger, August 27, 1785.
t Chambers's '^Biographical
Dictionary,*' «.v. " Mackenzie."
l82
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
QuNE, 1907
Myles Macphail (2nd S., III., 73).— Editor
and publisher, conjunct with his brother WilHam,
of the Ecclesiastical Journal bearing his name
from 1846 to 1863. They were remarkable men,
for in youth they made a pedestrian pilgrimage
through Italy. Their publishing office was in
South St. David Street, Edinburgh. They had
previously published "The Church of Scotland
Pulpit," consisting of' sermons and criticisms, a
species of literary work of perennial interest
everywhere. Becoming involved in financial
difficulties, Myles Macphail and family emigrated
to Melbourne in 1864. His brother William
remained in Edinburgh till his death, in 1884.
Myles, the elder brother, had poetic ability, for
in 1859 he published a centenary poem, "Burns's
Vision of the Future,'* a very superior produc-
tion. During the seventies of last century, I
was made aware of his existence in a singular
manner. I was employed as a "reader" in
Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, in a job printing-
office, and had the task allotted me of looking
after the correction of a number of Ferdinand
Bailliere's publishing projects. Ferdinand
Bailliere was of French extraction (son of
Hippolyte Bailliere, publisher of medical works
in London), and a very showy and bounteous
personage. He employed literary hacks to do
the necessary writing. The " Squatter's Direc-
tory for Australasia" was one of his projects,
and the compiler's name was Myles Macphail.
I had a good deal of palaver with him while the
book was being printed, and found him to be a
countryman, lair-complexion, light-haired, tall,
handsome in person, and genial in manner. I
asked him if he was related to the Edinburgh
publisher, and he laughed pleasantly, and replied,
"Only his son," adding that his father was not
far away, being then actually employed in a
subordinate capacity in the Melbourne General
Post-Office, a short distance up the street. He
promised to introduce me to his father, but the
proposal miscarried, as I left that employment
for the Government service. I remember my
last interview with the junior Macphail very
distinctly, for whilst we were busy pottering
away at the proofs of his " Directory," a tropical
thunderstorm occurred, with a terrific downpour
of rain, so much so, that in a short time the
street in front was transformed into a seething,
swirling torrent of brown water over a foot in
depth. The roof of the printing-office was
defective, and the rain penetrated into the case-
room in such copious profusion that work was
stopped. I piloted Mr. Macphail round the
back settlements to a hostelry on higher ground,
and there we had a long chat together. He
died of consumption on 3rd September, 1877,
aged 37. His father survived for about six
years, dying at Brighton (marine suburb of
Melbourne), on the loth October, 1883, aged 67.
He published in 1 874 " This World and the
Next," and contributed some striking verses to
the Melbourne Leader y notably "The Spirit's
Farewell to the Body," His son's death must
have been a severe blow to the old man, for the
junior Mac was a most lovable person.
Melbourne, Australia. Alba.
Ancient Grave. — A few weeks ago an
ancient grave, probably of pre-Christian date,
was found at Gateside, near the Brig of
Balgownie. The sides and ends were formed of
thin slabs set on edge, and it was covered by a
large, flat, heavy slab of ice-transported gneiss.
The internal length was 4 feet 3^ inches, the width
2 feet, and the depth i foot 10 inches at one end,
and I foot 3 inches at the other. The floor
was red gravel, over which were dotted small,
flat, water- worn stones. It contained fragments
of bones and a few teeth. The largest piece of
bone had been the shaft of a thigh-bone of a
man, who had been strong and full- sized. The
body must have been placed in the grave with
the knees bent up, and perhaps the head had
been raised. The whole of the stones forming
the grave have been transported to Marischal
College, and set up exactly as found. The lid
is on its edge, beside the tomb, supported on
brickwork. The gravel and water-worn stones
have been laid on the floor, and on these have
been placed a box with a glass top, containing
the fragments of bone found in the grave.
John Milne, LL.D.
Another "Wicked" Bible.— My grand-
father possessed a " Matthew Henry Bible," in
three huge folio volumes. His custom was on
Sunday afternoon to study the particular chapter
and verse on which the minister had preached,
evidently, as I thought (and still thinkX to see
if the reverend gentleman had cribbed anything
from Matthew Henry. One day he called me
to him, and showed me a most extraordinary
misprint in Philippians, 2nd chapter, 7th verse :
" But made himself of no reputation, and took
upon him the form of a serfenL^ " Och, laddie,
it gart me shudder," was his comment.
George St. J. Bremner.
San Francisco, Cal.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
183
BuTLRR's "Lobster" Simile (2nd S., VIII.,
136).— "Alba's" contributions to 5. ^V. &* Q,
are always very interesting, and show that he is
a voracious reader. If, however, he had read
his Rabelais in the original French, he would
not have charged the author of " Hudibras "
with plagiarism, but, rather, he would have
taxed the translator of Rabelais with cribb-
ing from Butler. In the passage quoted from
book 5, chapter 7 (not 8), the original French is
"Au poinct du jour pareillement nous esveilla
pour manger souppes de prime." Simply " At
break of day," etc., not a word about lobsters.
Motteux wrote his translation of the 4th and 5th
books of Rabelais at least half a century after
Butler's "Hudibras" had been printed. So,
unless " Alba " can find the same simile used by
any of the Elizabethan dramatists, he must in
honour apologise to the shade of Butler.
Many other instances could be pointed out of
Motteux's amplification of the text of Rabelais.
In chapter i of the same book, for the simple
phrase " Jeusnons, de par Dieu" ("Let us fast in
God's name"), he strings it out thus, "Since you
are so steadfast and have us fast, let's fast as
fast as we can, and then breakfast in the name of
famine" — all for the sake of quibbling on the
word "fast." Our countryman. Sir Thomas
Urquhart, who translated the first three books
of Rabelais, made a far better translation
than Motteux or any one else who has tried to
render the wit and spirit of Rabelais into
English. Although he bad not the imaginative
and creative power or Rabelais, he had
something of the same miscellaneous knowledge,
the same endless vocabulary, and the same
" high, fantastical " use of it, and yet Sir Thomas
had a way of his own in getting over difficulties.
Thus, in book 2, chapter 11, he translates the
unintelligible word " bombies " as " bum bees ! "
J. H. Burton has a very amusing footnote on
this in the chapter on " Hogmanay " in his
" Ancient League with France." In the same
book, chapter 6, Sir Thomas makes the
Limousin speak Aberdonian. When Pantagniel
takes him by the throat, he yells " Haw ! gwid
maaster ! My thrapple ! the bean of my cragg
is bruck ! for gauad's seek, lawt my lean ! " etc.
But the funniest of all is Sir Thomas's translation
of Panurge's English speech, in chapter 8, same
book. Rabelais' indifferent English is here
turned into a chaotic jumble of Scots, English,
Latin, and Heaven knows what else.
George St. J. Bremner.
San Francisco, CaL
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF CLAN LITERA-
TURE: WITH NOTES.
(Continued from ^nd S,,I., 191.)
Bell.
Memorial of the Clan of the Bells, more particularly
of the Bells of Kirkconnel, and Bells of Blacket-
house. Chief of the Name. By C. D. Bell.
Privately printed, and only for a few friends. Svo
pp. 48, with illustrations. Cape Town, 1864.
This work commences with *' Copy of an old
MS. in the library of the last Bell of Rammerscales,
said to have been written about the year 1692.
According to this MS. the Bells of Kirkconnel
were of French extraction, a gentleman named
William le Bell having come over to Scotland
with the Earl Douglas when he returned from an
embassy to France in 1374. " So much is certain,
that the family settled in the great lordship of
Annandale and sheriffdom of Dumfries in the
South, when that barony belonged to the Bails of
Douglas. They were vassals and retainers of the
great house of Douglas." To the copy of this
MS. Mr. Bell has added extensive notes relative
to the family history, with some biographical
notices of its more distinguished members. The
essay, fragmentary as it is, and making no pretence
at completeness, is nevertheless by no means
devoid of interest or value. (From Dobell's
Catalogue, 1906, pp. 210-21 1.)
Brodie.
The Diary of Brodie of Brodie, Senator of the
College of Justice. Svo. Edinburgh : printed by
T. Lumsden & J. Robertson, and sold by Book-
sellers in London, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen.
Edinburgh, 1740.
Extracts from the Diaries of Alexander Brodie of
Brodie, and of his son, James Brodie of Brodie,
A.D. 1652- 1685. Edited by David Laing, Signet
Library, Edinburgh, for the Spalding Club, 1863.
This club was inaugurated in Aberdeen, 1839.
Lord Brodie: His Life and Times, 1617-1680. With
Continuation to the Revolution. By George Bain,
author of ''History of Nairnshire." Nairn:
Telegraph Office, 1904. With photograph of
Brodie Sculptured Stone, Brodie Castle, xviii. +
194 pp. Demy Svo.
Extracts from the Diary oi Alexander Brodie of
Maine (1671-1676). Compiled by Dr. William
Cramond, Cullen. 24 pp. Elgin, 1903.
Brodies in Glenbucket (now Glenbuchat). A MS.
pedigree of this branch of Brodies, who are des-
cended (so says the late Mr. William Brodie, who
died 17th July, 1900) from John Brodie, 3rd son
of the Z2th laird of Brodie, by his second wife,
Margaret, widow of Dunbar of Benagefield, is in
1 84
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[June, 1907
the possession of his grand-nephew, Mr. Robert
Murdoch Lawrance, Aberdeen. He has greatly
augmented the Brodie MS., and hopes to verify
the descents at some future date.
Campbell.
The Marquis of Lome and the Clan Campbell : an
Epitome of the Story of the House of Argyll during
the last Six Centuries. With coloured plates of
the new Lome and Louise tartans, and vignette
portraits. London : James Hogg, York Street,
Covent Garden, n.d.
Argyle and Greenwich (John, Duke of). Life, con-
taining an Historical and Genealogical Account
of his Family and Ancestors. By Robert Camp-
bell. 8vo. Portrait. 1745.
The MacCailein Mor: a History of the Argyll Family
from the Earliest Times. By the Rev. Hely Smith.
Genealogical chart. 8vo. 1871.
Campbells of Melfort, Argyleshire (Memorial History
of). M. O. Campbell. Illustrations, with supple-
ment. Printed for private circulation only. 8vo.
1882- 1904.
Castle Campbell, the Ancient Stronghold of the
Argyll Family : a Historical Sketch. By the Rev.
Robert Paul, F.S.A.Scot., Dollar. With three
illustrations and two plans. Demy 8vo, 31 pp.
Dollar: James Miller &, Alexander Mackenzie.
1905.
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Publications.
Vol. VH. — Traditions of Glenurchay ; History of
the ** Maiden," or Scottish Beheading Machine
(Archibald, Earl of Argyll); Vol. XXHL— Duns
and Forts of Lome, etc., illustrated; Vol. XXVHL
— Charm Stone of Campbells of Craignish (see
also Vol. XXIX.); Vol. XXIX.— Charm Stone of
Campbells of Glenlyon; Vol. XXX.— Fosterage
Bonds of Campbells of Kilberry, etc.
Cameron.
Memoirs of Sir Ewen Cameron of Locheill, Chief
of Clan Cameron, with an Introductory Account
of the History and Antiquities of that Family, and
of the Neighbouring Clans. By John Drummond,
Edinburgh. Maitland Club publication. Crown
4to. 1842.
Royal Lochaber : Historical, Genealogical, and Tra-
ditionary. By W. Drummond Norie. Illustrated
by many fine portraits of celebrities reproduced
from old and rare prints, original drawings by Mr.
Lochart Bogle, photographs, etc. Glasgow:
Morrison Brothers. 1898.
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Publication.
Vol. XVI. Jottmgs in Mid-Lochaber. Illustrated.
Clan Chattan.
An Account of the Confederation of Clan Chattan :
ite Kith and Kin. Glasgow, 1898.
Proceedings at the Dinner of the Clan in 1898.
Has an appendix, "Cluny of the '45." By
Provost Macpherson. Inverness, 1898.
Macpherson (Sir IE., of Invereshie). The Loyall
Dissuasive and other Papers concerning the
Affairs of Clan Chattan, edited from the originals
at Cluny Castle by the Rev. A. D. Murdoch.
Portrait and facsimile. 8vo. Scottish History
Society, 1902.
The Minor Septs of Clan Chattan. By Charles
Eraser Macintosh, LL.D. Illustrated with eight
coloured plates of clan tartans, and many
facsimilies of ancient documents, relics, clan
antiquities, etc. Treats of the following Septs :
Cattanach, Clark, Crerar, Davidson, Farquharson,
Gillespie, Gillies, Gow, Macbean or Macbain,
Macgillivray, Mackintosh, Macphail, Macpherson,
Macqueen, Noble, Shaw, etc. 1903.
Clanranald.
Vindication of the Clanranalds of Glengarry, with
" Remarks as to the Descent of the Family. By
John Riddell. Printed by William Aitken,
Edinburgh. Edinburgh: W. & C. Tait, 1821.
Moidart: or, among the Clanranald. By Charles
Macdonald. On pages 171 -174 is part of a roll
of men upon Clanranald, its mainland estates,
with their arms ; made up in 1745. Oban, 1889.
Colquhoun.
The Chiefs of Colquhoun. By Sir William Eraser,
2 vols. The correspondence of Sir James
Colquhoun of the '45 is in Vol. I. , 344 et seq. ; that
of Robert Colquhoun of Camstradden is in Vol. II.,
229-234, (ist S., v., 125). Edinburgh, 1869.
Dewar.
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Publication.
Vol. XII. The St Fillan Crozier. Illustrated.
See also Vol. XXIII.
Douglas.
History of the House and Race of Douglas. By
David Hume of Godscroft. 8vo. 1820.
History of the Family of Douglas of Tilwhilly.
London, 1850.
Drumlanrig Castle and the Douglases. By Dr.
C. R. Ramage. Crown 8vo. 1876.
The Genealogy of the Families of Douglas of
Muldearg and Robertson of Kindeace, with their
Descendants. Dingwall, 1895.
History of the House of Douglas. By Sir Herbert
Maxwell. With introduction by W. A. Lindsay,
Windior Herald. 2 vols., 8vo. London, Free-
mantle, 1902.
The Heraldry of the Douglases. With Notes on all
the Males of the Family, Descriptions of Arms,
Plates, and Pedigrees. By G. Harvey Johnston.
96 pp. Edinburgh and London: W. & A. K.
Johnston, Ltd. 1907.
i
VOL. VIII. 2nd vSeries.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
185
Synopsis of the Genealogy of the Douglas Family.
London, 1754.
Drummond.
A Genealogical Memoir of the Most Noble and
Ancient House of Drummond, and of several
Branches that have sprung from it. By David
Malcolm. Edinburgh, 1808.
Case of Thomas Drummond of New Painshaw,
near Houghton-le- Spring, Durham, claiming the
Honours and Estates of the Earldom of Perth.
8vo. Newcastle-on-Tyne, 1830.
Duff.
Genealogical and Historical Memoirs of the Duffs,
principally of the Family of Moldavid. Edited by
Lauchlin D. Gordon Duff. Printed for private
circulation. Aberdeen, 1869.
EWEN.
Some Records of its History. By Robert Sutherland
Taylor MacEwen, Barrister-at-Law, Lincoln's
Inn, and some time Recorder at Rangoon. With
specimen of tartan as frontispiece, iv. ^-46 pp.,
8vo. Glasgow : John Mackay, 1904.
Farquharson.
A series of articles appeared in the Aberdeen Free
Press from 2nd January, igo4-2nd April, 1904,
10 instalments, by " F. S. A. Scot. '.* See also " Minor
Septs of Clan Chattan," by C. Eraser Mackintosh.
Glasgow, 1898 (pp 147-172).
Forbes.
Memoranda relating to the Family of Forbes of
Waterton, from a MS. of the deceased John
Forbes (born 1754, who was served heir to the
last Thomas Forbes of Waterton in 1775), and is
now printed solely for the use of members of the
family. 4to, pp. 61 ; view of the house of Water-
ton in 1770, arms of the family, and several
sheets of genealogies. Aberdeen, 1857.
The principal contents of this volume are as
follows : — Catalogue of Original Papers relating to
the Family, 1630 to 1725 ; List of Papers, from
1725 to 1774 ; the Family of Forbes, from Lums-
den, etc. (folding plate) ; Pedigree of Forbes of
Waterton (folding plate) ; Tree of the Family of
Scrymgeour (folding plate) ; Documents relating
to the Dunkeld Family, 1702 to 1775 ; a variety of
Miscellaneous Memoranda relating to the family
history. (From DobelPs Catalogue, 1906, p. 57.)
Pedigree of Forbes of Monymusk and Pitsligo.
Compiled by Mrs. G. £. Forbes. 1881.
The Genealogy of the House of Tulquhon. By
J. D. 20 pp., and appendix. Aberdeen: printed at
the ConsiituHonal Ofnce, by William Bennet, 1839.
Genealogy of the Family of Forbes, from the
Account of Mr. Matthew Lumsden of Tullikerne,
written in 1580, etc. Reprinted : Inverness, 1883.
Memorials of Forbes of Forbesfield, with Notes on
connected Morgans, Duncans, and Fergusons.
By Alexander Forbes. With 1 1 full-page illustra-
tions. 4to, ix. + 134 pp. Only 150 copies printed,
by Taylor & Henderson, The King's Printers^
Adelphi Press, Aberdeen, 1905.
Forbes of Tombeg, 1687-1907, with Notes on some
Descendants and Connections. MS. in the
possession of Mr. Robert Murdoch Lawrance,
Aberdeen.
Eraser.
A Collection of 15 tracts relating to the contest of
the Lovat Peerage in 1729- 1730, with genea-
logical tables, memorial for those of the surname
of Fraser.
History of the Erasers of Lovat, with Genealogies of
the Principal Families of the Name, to which is
added those of Dunballoch and Phopachy. By
Alexander Mackenzie. Demy 8vo, 768 pp.
Inverness, 1896.
Memorials of the Family of Erasers. Privately
printed for Sir William Eraser, Edinburgh, 1904.
With portrait of Alexander Fraser, 17th Lord
Saltoun. 22 pp. , 4to.
Chronicle of the Erasers. The Wardlaw Manuscript
entitled ** Polychionicon seu Policratica Tem-
porum ; or, The True Genealogy of the Erasers,"
916-1674. By Master James Eraser. Edited
by William Mackay. Edinburgh: printed by T.
and A. Constable, for the Scottish Historical
Society, 1905. [A review of this book, by Mr. J. A.
Lovat-Fraser, appeared in the Celtic Monthly,
Vol. XIII., p. 168.]
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Publications.
Vol. VII. — Documents relating to Lord Lovat ;
Vol. XXVIII. — Armorial Medal of Eraser, 1665.
Galbraith.
Memoirs of the House of Hamilton connected,
with an addition on the Clan Galbraith. 4to.
Edinburgh, i8j8.
Gordon.
History of the Family of Gordon, 2 vols., by
William Gordon of Old Aberdeen. [For
description, see S. iV. 6* g., 2nd S.,Vol.V., p. 166.]
House of Gordon. Vol. I., issued by New Spalding
Club, contains history, etc., of Gordons of Aber-
geldie and Gight, by John Malcolm Bulloch,
M.A.; and Coclarchie, by Rev. Stephen Ree, B.D.,
Boharm. An extensive bibliography on published
works on the great Gordon family is contained
in this volume.
Graham.
Or and Sable, a book of Graemes and Grahams.
By Louisa G. Graeme. Crown 4to. Edinburgh :
William Brown, 1902.
Robert Murdoch.
(To he continued.)
1 86
SCOTTISH NOTES A NIX QUERIES
[June, 1907
The Dorian Way.— This was the name [
given by Marischal College students to the route
.taken by the professor of Greek, Robert James 1
Brown, from his house in Golden Square to the
College. He was perhaps never altogether late
in the morning, but always very nearly, and he
took the shortest route, vid Union Street, Cor-
rection Wynd, Harnett's Close, and Red Lion
Court. He held office from 1827 to i860, retir-
ing at the union of the Universities. His method
of speaking was guttural, and sometimes students
failed to make out what he said, which led to
his getting a sobriquet indicating this peculiarity.
Latterly it gave place to "The Dorian," which
simply meant "The Grecian," though the
Dorians were only one of two Greek lines. Red
Lion Court took its name from an inn which
probably had for a sign the Red Lion rampant,
the personal arms of the sovereigns of Scotland,
and this sign may have been adopted because
the kings of Scotland had made the inn their
residence when in Aberdeen. In the Lord
High Treasurer's Accounts there is a note of a
payment by James IV. to the wife with whom
he lodged in Aberdeen. In the Aberdeen
Journal x\\tYe\s,m 1754, an announcement by
William Butblaw, victt kller at the Red Lion,
fronting Marischal College gate, that he had
removed to William Green's back house, the
first in the thoroughfare opposite the College
Church leading to the Guestrow, and that he
offered good entertainment to those who might
please to diet with him. The Red Lion Court
was No. 77 Broad Street, which was under
the pediment gable in the front of Henry
(Cray's warehouse, and it had an opening also
to the Guestrow, which was under the support
for telephone wires in the back wall of the house.
Iron pins in the walls showed that both openings
had, as usual in ancient Aberdeen, been pro-
vided with doors to be closed at ni^ht. When
the old house which had been the mn became
unfit for habitation, the court was shut up.
When, however, Henry Gray took down the
house and was proceeding to erect another
without a passage through it, the Town Council
exacted a payment from him for shutting up a
public thoroughfare, though it had undoubtedly
been originally a private entrance to the Red
Lion Inn. Long before Professor Brown's time
the Red Lion Inn had been shifted from Broad
Street to the north side of West North Street,
where there was a public-house. No. 8, called
the Red Lion till after the middle of the last
century. The landlord's wife was one of those
killed in a railway accident at Kittybrewster at
the opening of the Great North of Scotland
Railway. JOHN MiLNE.
NOTABLK MEN AND WOMEN OF
FORFARSHIRE.
(Continued from 2ud S., VIII., 103,)
63. Alexander, Rev. Thomas: Presby-
terian Minister. Bom at Fowlis, near Dundee,
1817 ; apprenticed as an ironmonger in Dundee;
subsequently made several voyages to sea ;
afterwards taught a school at Invergowrie, and
subsequently entered the ministry of the Free
Church of Scotland. He was for some time
assistant to the Rev. Dr. Candlish ; was ap-
pointed to the Presbyterian Church in Chelsea,
and a few years before his death was elected
Moderator of the English Presbyterian Synod.
He wrote several popular theological works,
and was a neighbour and intimate friend of
Thomas Carlyle. He died 6th February, 1872.
(Norrie's " Dundee Celebrities.") A good story
is told of him and Carlyle. One day, having
bored the philosopher greatly during a walk
through London, Carlyle suddenly stopped short
at a street crossing, and dismissed his com-
panion saying, " Here we part : you go to the
left, I go to the right, and if you go to the right,
I shall to the left."
64. Beattie, David Alexander (Rev.) :
Minor Poet Born Arbroath in 1 831, he was
educated at Edinburgh for the Free Church
ministry, and was ordained at Towie, Aberdeen-
shire, in 1858, but translated to Garvald, Had-
dingtonshire, 1 861, where he still labours. He
has published a number of verses, among which
may be named " The Bride of Death," " Songs
of Life," and " Scenes from the Land of Scott"
He has also written a poem, in six cantos, on
" Black Agnes of Dunbar." He contributes to
the local press occasionally, and figures in
" Modern Scottish Poets," Vol. XII.
65. Begg, Peter: "Father of the Dundee
Free Library." This worthy was bom in 1819
and died 1885. George Gilfillan gave him the
name noted above.
66. Bell, Patrick, LL.D. (Rev.) : Inven-
tor, etc. This ingenious clergyman was born at
the farm of Mid Leven, Auchterhouse parish,
in April, 1799, and died in 1869. His reaping
machine was one of the first, but not actually
the first, of its kind, the honour of the first in-
vention being due to John Common of Denwick
in 1 8 12, though the first suggestion of such a
machine is attributed to Capel Loftt in 1785.
Mr. Bell's machine, which proved simple and
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
187
eflgcient, appeared in 1826, and continued in
use for many years, and several of its features
reappear in present-day machines. Dr. Bell
was translated to Carmylie in 1843, ^^^ some
time before his death he received a public \
testimonial from agriculturists in consideration
of the service his invention had rendered to
agriculture.
67. Balmyle or Balmule, Nicholas de:
Chancellor of Scotland, and Bishop of Dun-
blane. Educated as clerk in the Abbey of
Aberbrothock ; held chancellorship from 1301
till probably 1307, when he was appointed to
the bishopric of Dunblane. His name does not
appear in any official document later than 131 3,
and he is reported to have died in 13 19 or 1320.
(" Dictionary of National Biography," Vol. III.)
68. Bennett, David : Engineer and Labour
Leader. A native of Dundee, born in 1830, he
learned engineering in his native town, but
emigrated to Australia, and settled in Melbourne
in 1 856. For many years he was employed in
Long lands Foundry, and was known as a
stalwart champion of the rights of labour. He
took an active part in favour of the Eight Hours
Movement in Australia, and was Secretary of
the Association of Engineers for twenty years.
One of the founders of the Trades Hall, he was
long hon. secretary of the Trades Hall Council,
and its paid secretary after 1888. I have no
later note concerning him.
69. Birrell, Mary : Minor Poet. Born
presumably in Dundee, she published in 1871 a
booklet entitled "The Rifle Volunteers, and
other Poems."
70. Birrell, Wm. Dundas : Minor Poet.
Bom about 1868 at LifT, near Dundee, the son
of a publican, he figures in the 14th volume of
" Modem Scottish Poets."
71. Birse, David : Minor Poet A native
of Brechin, and a friend of the poet Alexander
Laing. A MS. volume of verse by him is in the
Mitchell Library, Glasgow. He is biographed
in ^ Bards of Angus and the Meams.'' He
flourished in 1819, when the MS. is dated.
72. BissETT, Thomas : one of Dundee's
eccentrics. He was a gravestone cutter in
Dundee, an excellent workman, but a confirmed
drunkard. He died alone in his house in the
Seagate, 19th Mav, 1829, aker a drunken spree.
In anticipation of his end, he had prepared for
himself the following epitaph : —
Here lies Thomas Bisset, who often did quiz it
Either when sober or drunk ;
Ae day, o*er a bottle, the deil dang his dottle,
An' Death cam* and put oot his spunk.
73. Black, David Dakers : Local His-
torian. He was bom in Brechin in 1801, became
town clerk of his native town, as well as £%ctor
to Lord Panmure, in both of which capacities
he was much respected. He published m 1S38
a " History of Brechin," which was reissued in
1867, and the history brought up to date. The
book is a good specimen of local histories. Mr.
Black was dead before 1882.
74. Bl.\ck, James: Local Benefactor. This
good man built at his own expense, and partly
with his own hands, the bridge of Gannochie.
He was born in 1677, and died in 1750, leaving
most of his means for charities. The inscrip-
tion on his tombstone reads : — " James Black,
born at Mill of Lethnot, dy*d Oct. 24, 1750, at
Wood of Dalbog. Chiefly built the Bridge of
Gannochie, and doted for the support of it 50
merks Scots : Besides 1,000 meiks for other
Bridges and pious uses : viz. 500 merks for a
Schoolmr at Tillibardir : and 300 merks toward
building a Bridge at Balrownie, with 200 merks
to the poor of Fettercaim.
'* No Bridge on Earth can be a Pass for Heaven,
To generous deeds Let yet due Praise be given.
— ** Memento, 1746, Moir.''
75. Blair, David, J.P. : born in Brechin
1750, died 1836. Son of a minister, he went to
Dundee at an early age, and engaged in business
there. By industry, ability, and perseverance
he rose to a high position among Dundee
merchants. For many years he acted as stamp
master. An .ictive magistrate, he took deep
interest in all local and charitable institutions,
and was one of the originators of the Lunatic
Asylum. He died 24th December, 1836. See
Norrie's " Dundee Celebrities."
76. Blair, Patrick, M.D.: Scottish Botan-
ist. Bom in Scotland towards the close of the
17th century, probably in Dundee. He practised
medicine there, and was known as a skilful
anatomist. A nonjuror, he was imprisoned in
171 5. He subsequently went to London, and
became known to the Royal Society by papers
he read on the sexes of flowers. He afterwards
settled at Boston, in Lincolnshire, and seems to
have died there about 1729. He published
"Observations on Physic, Anatomy, Surgery,
and Botany," in 17 18; "Botanic Essays,*' in
i88
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[June, 1907
1720 ; and his " Pharmaco-Botanologia," in
1723-8. He also read many papers to the Royal
Society on anatomical and botanical subjects.
77. I5LYTH, David : Minor Poet. He was
born in i8io in Dundee ; at the age of 16 entered
the merchant navy, and made numerous voyages.
Having received a liberal education, he soon
rose from the ranks. Failing health compelled
him to leave the sea, and he died in 1838. In
1879 a selection of his poems, entitled "The
Pirate Ship, and other Poems," was published.
The volume, which was a handsome one, con-
tained poems and songs by other members of
the lilyth family, which showed that they were
a very poetic family. See Edwards's " Modern
Scottish Poets," Vol. I.
78. BOECE, OR BOYCE, ARTHUR : Lawyer
and Judge, etc. Floniii 1535. He was brother
of No. 'J']. A native of Angus, possibly born in
Panbride or Dundee. He was a doctor of
Canon Law, a licentiate in Civil Law, and held
the office of Professor of Canon Law in King's
College while Hector was Principal. He pub-
lished a book of excerpts from the Canon Law,
and was a Scottish Judge.
79. BOECE, OR BOYCE, HECTOR : Scholar
and Author. Principal of King's College, Aber-
deen. Bom 1465 or 1470, educated at Paris,
where he became Professor of Philosophy, he
was appointed the first Principal of King's
College, Aberdeen, and had a large part in
organising that institution. His fame chiefly
rests on his Latin History of Scotland, which
was translated and published by the Scottish
Hist. Society. He died 1536. For notice see
Scottish Notes and Queries^ IX., 81; X., 51.
Dollar. W. B. R. Wilson.
(To be continued. )
*
Gavin Turreff : Antiquary and Author.
-In the May issue I observe "Alba" making
reference to this painstaking antiquary, and I
find that our esteemed contributor, "W.B.R.W.,"
makes no reference to his death (ist S., XII.,
118). He is buried in St. Nicholas Churchyard,
Aberdeen, where a handsome granite obelisk
bears the following inscription: — '*Gavin Turreff,
M.A. I Born 18 September, 1803 | Died 20
December, 1878. | Author of | "Antiquarian
Gleanings " | for 40 years a faithful | servant of
the Aberdeen Bank | and Union Bank of
Scotland | in Aberdeen | Erected by friends j
in remembrance of his Christian | character and
sterling worth." ROBERT MURDOCH.
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ABERDEEN
PERIODICALS.
(Continued from 2nd S., VIII., p. I24.)
1852. The Chameleon (ist S., I., 73; IX., 104;
2nd S., VI., 76). The following is an extract from
The Evening Express, 2nd May, 1905 : — '* To the
older generation of Aberdonians, the name of John
Spark, whose death occurred a few days ago, will
recall a type of free lance literature that has now
almost ceased to exist. The announcement of a
Chameleon from the pen of John Spark was invariably
looked forward to with intense interest, and, taken
all over, not even those who got special mention in
its pages were inclined to cry out. The humoui
may have been occasionally broad, and the satire
stinging, but there was invariably an under stratum
of truth that saved the situation. As John's know*
ledge of public men and public affairs was both
extensive and accurate, he was never at a loss for
material when a call was made upon his pen, and
on not a few occasions John Spark brightened up
the somewhat sombre life of the town." The last
two issues already mentioned, viz., XXV. and XXVI.,
were printed by James Blair, 1 1 St. Nicholas Street,
Aberdeen.
1905. The Bon-Accord Buyer^s Guide: Aber-
deen's Monthly Maga'^ine (2nd S., VIII., 123).
This advertising monthly ran to No. 12, October,
1906, when the following intimation appeared : —
" We wish to inform our readers of certain changes
that we are about to make, beginning with our
November number. In the first place, we shall
appear in a greatly enlarged and improved form.
We shall cease to be the Bon- Accord Buyer^s Guide,
and we shall make our bow to our readers as The
North Magazine." The Buyer s Guide, so runs the
notice, was so successful that the proprietor, Mr.
David Balloch, offered so much more in its new
form, and it was taken for granted that readers
would be ready to pay " the nimble penny."
1906. The North Magazine (late The Bon-Accord
Buyer's Guide). Vol. II., No. 13; November, 1906.
Price id. Size 4to, 9i x 7 J, 20 pp. , double-columned,
covers additional. Imprint at the foot of the last
page of the cover : ** Printed and published monthly
by the Proprietor, David Balloch, of 154 Union
Street, Aberdeen, Scotland. Subscription, is. 6d.
per annum, post free.
The contents include brief and bright comments
on loc&l events, brought down to within a day or
two of publication on the first day of each month,
short, racy articles, numerous business advertise-
ments, also, the same popular features of its pre-
decessor.
1907. Lindsay's Hiecord Time Tables. Sire,
demy i8mo; price id. monthly. Published by
W. & W. Lindsay, Market Street, Aberdeen.
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
1 89
The first issue of these time tables, which appeared
January, 1907, is got up in quite a different plan
from others, and is unique in its way. It opens
directly from the centre. Each page is larger than
its neighbour, with the routes struck out in a heaxy
black heading, thus enabling the travelling public to
alight upon the information required at a glance. It
contains the usual information found in all time
tables in connection with transit outside and within
the city ; a £100 free insurance policy, and a large
percentage of local advertisements.
Bibliography of Aberdeen Periodicals
(continued from 2nd S., VIII., 124). — I have
lately found an imperfect copy of the first
number of a periodical which, I think, has as
yet escaped notice. It is entitled T/ie Northern
Gaderlunzie Budget, and was published on
Thursday, 21st March, 1844, price one penny.
It consists of 8 pages 8vo, and is described as
" Under the auspices of the Bon- Accord Gaber-
lunzie Club." The imprint reads : " Published
for the Gaberlunzie Club, And sold by C.
COCKERILI^ 224 George Street ; Watson,
Gallowgate : at 5 Flourmill Brae ; by Glass,
WooDsiDE; and Knight, Old Aberdeen.'* The
number ends with the following note: "The
Budget, No. II., much improved in variety and
arrangement, will appear this day fortnight."
Can any reader say what the Oaberlunzie Club
was, and whether any numbers of The Budget
besides the first ever appeared ? W. J.
answers.
d^ueries.
859. Sir James Livingston. — Who was Sir
James Livingston, temp., 1742, in which year he had
a son studying at Leyden ? H. D. McW.
860. Shank House, near Edinburgh. — In what
parish is this house situate, and who is the present
owner
H. D. McW.
861. Sir Alexander Ramsay. — Who was Sir
Alexander Ramsay, temf>., 1736? He appears to
have had bursaries at Edinburgh in his gift.
H. D. McW.
862: Latervandeck. — Peter Grant and his wife,
Helen Grant, had a son 'called John, born at Later-
vandeck, 22nd August, 1762. Where is Latervan-
deck ? Is it an old spelling of Lochtervandeck, in
Glenrinncs? M. G.
863. Nineteen Years' Leases.— I shall be glad
of any information as to the origin of this term of
leasing farms. A. M.
Durris.
259. The Gordons op Manar (2nd S., IV., 141,
158-; v., no; VI., 12). — Mr. J. Malcolm Bulloch
may note that a tablestone in St. Nicholas Church-
yard, adjacent to John Gordon of Murtle and Francis
Gordon of Craig's tombstones is inscribed: — " Sacred
to the memory of Hugh Gordon, Esq., of Manar,
who died nth July, 1834, aged 68, and of his youngest
son, William, who died 27th April, 1834, aged 15,
also of his widow, Elizabeth Forbes, who died loth
February, 1870, aged 85 years." The writer hopes
that Mr. A. M. Munro will complete his articles on
St. Nicholas Churchyard epitaphs in extenso at an
early date, as many are scarcely decipherable and
time will work havoc with those that have been
spared to us.
Robert Murdoch.
347. English County Anthology (2nd S., V.,
62, 79, 94» no, 124, 142, 157, 174 ; VI., 12, 30 ; VII.,
79, 94; VIII., 94, 173). — Add: — A Garland j of |
County Song 1 English Song | English Folk Songs
I with their Traditional Melodies [ Collected and
Arranged by | S. Baring-Gould | and | H.Fleetwood
Sheppard | Metheun & Co., | 36 Essex Street, W.C.
I London | 1895 | xi. + n2pp., 4to. [Contains fifty
songs.]
English Folk Songs | for Schools. | Collected and
Arranged by | S. Baring-Gould, M.A. | and | Cecil
J. Sharp, B.A. | London : | J. Curwen & Sons, Ltd..
24 Berners Street, W. | iv. -1- 105 pp., n.d. [Dedicated
by Permission to their | Royal Highness Prince
Edward | and Albert of Wales.]
Folk Songs from Somerset | Gathered and edited
with piano accompaniment | by | Cecil J. Sharp {
and I Rev. C. L. Marson | First and Second Series.
Simpkin, Marshall & Co. Schott & Co.
Folk Songs I from Somerset | With Pianoforte
Accompaniments | and introduction | and notes.
Third Series | London : | Simpkin & Co., Ltd.
Schott & Co. I Taunton : | Barnicott & Pearce,
Athenaeum Press. | MCMVI.
The above songs are according to the sub- title,
gathered and edited by Cecil J. Sharp and Charles
L. Marson, Vicar of Hambridge. Dedicated by
Permission | to Her Royal Highness | The Princess
of Wales. Barnicott & Pearce, Printers. 82 pp.
Sussex Songs. | Popular Songs of Sussex | arranged
by I H. F. Birch Reynardson | London : | Stanley
Lucas, Weber, & Co., | 84 New Bond Street, and
325 Oxford Street, W. 410, 48 pp. n.d.
[Contains twenty-six songs.]
The above-mentioned books are in the possession
of Mr. Gavin Greig, M.A., an exponent and authority
on folk song of the north-east of Scotland.
Robert Murdoch.
81X. Longmore Family (2nd S., VIII., 126).—
A tablestone close to the Back Wynd entrance to St.
Nicholas Churchyard is inscribed :— *' To the Memory
190
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[June, 1907
I of I Helen Longmore, | wife of | Lieutenant John
Emslie, | 83rd Regiment, | who died 30th April, 1812,
I aged 29 years, | also their eldest daughter, | Mary,
who died 19th December, | 1819, aged 16 years,
John Emslie, | late Captain 83rd Regiment, Foot ;
died at Aberdeen, | 24th Tuly, 1844, aged 68 years,
and was interred here, | also his daughter Jane, | died
5th August 1865, aged 56 years. | Alexander Leith
Emslie, M.D. | only son of Captain Emslie, | died at
Auchtermuchty 14th March 1854, | aged 48 years."
The above Helen Longmore is probably a relative
6i James Longmore mentioned in query.
Robert Murdoch.
8x8. Caddell, alias MacPherson (2nd S.,Vin.,
126). — "Alexander Leslie, first laird of Kininvie,
second son of George Leslie, married Marian Calder,
daughter of Alexander Calder or McPherson of
Napferson," from *' The Historical Records of the
Family of Leslie," Vol. IIL, page 346.
M. G.
823. Cardno Family (2nd S., VHL, 141). —
Cardno is a modern form of the Gaelic word
" Carnach," meaning abounding in Cairns. The d
is an insertion, not so much for euphonic purposes —
for it is seldom sounded— as to vary a place or
personal name from its simplest form. Many places
in 'Scotland abound or did once abovnd in cairns.
Some places on the brows of the sunny side of hills
have many cairns. They evidently had been made
by gathering stones off the surface of the ground to
let grass for sheep grow early in spring when it is
scarce and much needed. Other cairns are seen
near the junction of two Highland glens. It is
customary at funerals to invite people from one glen
to meet a funeral party coming aown and then to help
to carry the coffin of a friend a mile or two. They
have sometimes to wait for the arrival of the cofBn,
and they employ this interval in building a small
Memorial Cairn. In some places now cultivated
the ground was once so encumbered with blocks of
stone, transported by moving ice, that it could not be
ploughed or harrowed till they were gathered into
heaps. At Memsie, near Fraserburgh, there are two
large cairns, perhaps 90 feet in diameter, which may
have been tribal burying places, though they were
probably added to by stones from the neighbouring
fields. Any such places would be called '* Carnach"
in Gaelic. *'Ach" at the end of a Gaelic word
often becomes o in Scotch. Aberlemnach has
become Aberlemno. Other forms of Cardno are
Car no, Carne, Cardeny, Cardney, and the Aberdeen
Cardenhaugh may be Carnach slightly changed
to make it a name with a meaning intelligible to
Scotsmen. They are all originally place names,
which have been eiven to persons living near the
Cairns, and so made personal names.
John Milne, LL.D.
829. Patrick Grant, Lord Elchies (2nd S.,
VIII., 142.— **H. D. McW.*' stated that enquiry in
likely places in Edinburgh has proved fruitless in
discovering a portrait of the above. What may be
considered likely places is doubtful. The W.S.
Library would occur to one as a likely place, s^nd if
I mistake not a portrait has hung on the walls there
for years. J. McG.
832. The Word « Pony" (2nd S., VIL, 156).—
A somewhat earlier use of the word than in the
passage cited by Dr. Murray occurs in the first
stanza of " Hallow Fair,'* generally attributed to
Francis Sempill, of Beltrees : —
*' Maggie sae brawly was buskit,
When Jockie was tied to his bride.
The pownie was ne'er better whiskit
Wi* a cudgel that hung by his side."
With considerable probability, Mr. Eyre Todd con-
jectures that the poem was composed by Sempill,
previous to his marriage in 1655. The words quoted
above are sometimes— but wrongly — ascribed to
Fergusson, who also wrote a poem entitled '* Hallow
Fair." In Lydgate's verses "On the Prospect of
Peace," the phrase "A poleyn steede" is used,
meaning possibly *'a young steed," and perhaps
tending to confirm Dr. Murray's view of the deriva-
tion of the word **pony." Lydgate, it may be
mentioned, died circa 1451. A contributor to Notes
and Queries^ June, 1883, mentions "pony" as
finding a place in Bailey's " Dictionary,*' 1736
edition. There is, however, a reference earlier than
that year. In Boyer's *• French-English Dictionary**
edition for 1729, the word is given as the English
equivalent of the French bidet. Possibly it may be
found in the ist (London) edition as well, published in
1699. It is, perhaps, worthy of mention that in some
early French dictionaries the alternative meaning for
" pony " is ** a little Scotch horse." Allan Ramsay,
in the second canto of '* Christ's Kirk on the Green "
(written in continuation of King James's poem of
the same hame) has the following delectable lines : —
** The lasses babb'd about the reel,
Gar'd a' their hurdies wallop,
And swat like pownies whan they speel
Up braes, or whan they gallop. "
The canto was written, the author states, in 1715.
Two lines of inquiry about the use of the word look
distinctly promising — (i) when Robert the Bruce nvet
and overthrew Sir Henry de Bohun at Bannockburn
in 13 14, he is said to have been mounted on a pony.
Barbour calls it "a litill palfray." Was Sir Waller
Scott, writing his " History" about 1828, the first to
transform palfrey into pony ? (2) Boece's •• History
of the Scots" includes in one of its chapters a
description of the Orkney Isles, quoted in Professor
Hume Brown's •* Scotland before 1700." A unta-
Using entry in the index to the Professor's book
about " Ponies of Orkney," and referring to Boece's
description, leads the reader to anticipate that the
word ** pony" may have been as early as the age of
Hector Boece. On turning to the passage, however,
the words the historian actually uses are found to be
Vol. VIII. 2nd Series.] SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
191
" Their hors ar litill mair than asinis." At the same
time the skeltie or Shetland pony — of which the
Orkney animal was probably a variety — has lone been
known under that name. What author before
Edmonston, whose *' Account of Zetland" was pub-
lished in 1809, has mentioned the Shetland pony ?
Let me refer to a recently published work, " Ponies:
Past and Present," by Sir Walter Gilby, containing
an account of the Exmoor,*New Forest, Welsh,
Shetland and many other varieties of the pony, as
likely to furnish information concerning the earliest
use of the word. The book was published by Vinton
and Co., some live or six years ago.
W. S.
833. The Cummings of Culter (2nd S., VIII.,
157). — Grace Helen Gumming, daughter of Robert
Stewart Gumming of Gulter, married Victor Garreau,
barrister-at-law, in 185 1. Her husband died in 1867.
Debrett asserts that Robert Stewart Gumming never
assumed the baronetcy, but that his son, Sir Ken-
neth William Gumming, did so on his father's death
in 1847. G. H.
834. Scots Episcopacy (2nd S., VIU., 157).—
George John Robert Gordon of Ellon, eldest son of
Alexander Gordon of Ellon, was born in 1812,
married Rosa Justina, daughter of William Young
of Rio de Janeiro, in 1843, and succeeded his father
in 1873. Although not *• laird of Ellon" in 1852,
there can hardly be a doubt that he was the "G.J. R.
Gordon " of the query. He was at one time Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in Wur-
temberg. G. H.
835. Miss Gordon, Rubv Gottage (2nd S.,
VIII., 157). — In 1852 a Miss Lucy Gordon resided
at 9 Golden Square, Aberdeen. Perhaps she may
be the lady inquired after. J. F. M.
836. "The Standard Habbie" (2nd S., VIII.,
i57)._» Alba," '• W. B. R. W.," and " W. S." will
find a complete account of this stanza in "The
Centenary Burns," edited by Henley and Henderson.
G. W.
840. HuNTLY IN Bombay (2nd S., VIII., 158). —
In an old East Indian Gazetteer it is stated that
European residents in Bombay, about eighty or
ninety years ago, were fond of building themselves
bungalows outside the city, and residing in them
with their families. The name, Huntly Lodge,
suggests such a residence, built and probably so
called by some person belonging to the family of
Gordon. Who he was it may now be impossible to
determine, but at the time mentioned in the query
there were, at least, three Gordons on the Bombay
Medical Establishment, one of whom may con-
ceivably have erected a " Huntly Lodge" in memory
of the home land. I give the names as they appear
in "An Alphabetical List of Bombay Surgeons,"
extending from 1764 to 1838: — (i) Alexander Gordon,
Assistant Surgeon, 1805; Surgeon, z8i8; died at
Sattarah, i8ig. (2) George Gordon, Assistant Sur-
geon, 1808 ; Surgeon, i8ig ; Head Surgeon, 1828 ;
died in England, 1832. (3) John Gordon, Assistant
Surgeon, 1819 ; died at Zoar, 1821.
J. H.
843. William Aikman (2nd S., VII., 172).—
There is no doubt possible regarding the fact that
William Aikman was a cadet of the important fftmily
of the Aikmans of Gairnie, near Arbroath, Forfar-
shire. In Mr. J. M. McBain's interesting volume,
" Eminent Arbroathians," a very fiill account of this
family is given ; also a sketch of the career of its
last representative, William Aikman, and a note
pointing out the mistake made by Ghambers and the
" Encyclopedia Britannica," which has bothered
" A.M.," and many others that I could name.
Alan Reid.
In reply to the query by "A. M." last month, it
may be stated that there is in the Abbey Ghurchyard,
Arbroath, a flat red sandstone slab, with the frag-
ment of an inscription: "Hoc est tumulus Aik«
manorum Lordbumae," the date whereon is supposed
to be 1560. The Aikmans of Lordburn and Cairnie
held these lands for centuries; and in a MS. book
by William Aikman of Gairnie, dated 1700, there is
a local tradition that the first of the Aikmans in the
district was an English goldsmith, brought by
William the Lion for the purpose of doing gold and
silver work in connection with the abbey. In the
same book it is stated that "in the churchyard of
this town there is a burial place belonging to them,
built after the manner of a chest, vaulted and asseler
work within, with this inscription on the top in very
ancient characters, lately revised by John Aikman
of Gairnie — ' Hie jacet antiqua Aikmanor de Lord-
burn familia,' in which there is reported to have
been laid ten John Aikmans of this family successive
without interruption, whereof the late John Aikman
of Gairnie was the lasL" In the chapter house of
the abbey, there is a monumental brass inscribed—
"To perpetuate the memory of my ancestors, the
Aikmans of Lordburn and Gairnie, this tablet is
placed in the Abbey of Aberbrothwick, on the stones
that covered the resting-place in the Abbey grounds
of ten John Aikmans, the last of whom was born
1 613, and died 1693. He was designated the Gude
Laird o' Gairnie. His eldest son, William Aikman,
was an eminent advocate and Sheriff of Forfarshire.
He succeeded to Gairnie, and died 1699, and was
buried in the Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh. He
was succeeded by his only son, William Aikman,
the celebrated historical painter of Scotland, who
sold Gairnie in 1707. He was born 1682, and died
in 1731, and with his only son, John, rests in the
Greyfriars Kirkyard^ Edinburgh. Thomas Aikman,
the second son of the Gude Laird o* Gairnie, was a
lawyer of eminence, and Keeper of the Records of
Scotland. He bought the lands of Ross and Broomel-
ton, Hamilton, Lanarkshire. Here the representa-
tive of the Aikman family now resides. The Abbey
was visited by me, my wife, and eldest son, Thomas
kWFfiata
192
SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES
[June, 1907
S. G. H. R. Aikmah, on the loth anniversary of our
marriage, the 21st September, 1868, and this tablet
was presented to the Town by me, the great-great-
great-great grandson of the Gude Laird o' Cairnie,
in affectionate remembrance of the Aikmans of
Lordburn and Cairnie, who resided in and near
Arbroath for many centuries. Hugh Henry Robert-
son Aikman, Ross House, Jan. xst, 1869."
J. E. Leighton.
Goodyburn, Perth.
854. The Dean (or Den) (2nd S., VIH., 173).—
is the name by which the valley of the Water of Leith,
now within the city boundary of Edinburgh, is known.
There was a house of Dean, as also a village of
Dean, and the Dean Bridge, one of Telford's master
works, is one of the sights of the metropolis. I
cannot trace Patrick Houston ; but it is well known
that in 1705, Archibald Houston, a Writer to the
Signet, and a prominent Edinburgh lawyer, was
killed at the Cross, by Gilbert Kennedy of Auchty-
fardel, Lanarkshire. Alan Reid.
H. D. McW. will find references to the Village of
Dean, in the Water of Leith, Edinburgh ; to Bon-
nington, near Leith, and to John's Coffee House in
Parliament Close, Edinburgh, in "Old and New
Edmburgh," by James Grant, published by Cassell
and Co. H. A. P.
^5. John's Coffee House (2nd S., VUL, 173).
— Tnis celebrated howff was a great resort of the
judges and lawyers of the i8th century, and figures
largely in th^ local lore of the period. Defoe notes
that the opponents of the Union met here to
denounce that scheme ; but ** John's" was the head-
quarters of the disaffected generally, as of several
early Edinburgh Clubs. It stood near the Courts of
Law, off the High Street, and at the nor^th-east
corner of the vanished Parliament Close.
Alan Reid.
856. BoNNiNGTON (2ndS., VHL, 173).— The
name of a populous district lying between Edinburgh
and Leith. Anciently it was a landed property,
with a mansion-house which is still represented
among the older dwellings of the district. Bishop
Robert Keith, well known as a strenuous upholder of
Episcopacy by pen and action, resided here in the
troublous times of Jacobitism. Though the Bishop
lived in Bonnyhaugh, his own house, at Bonnington
Village, I think the reference can only apply to him.
In any case, he was much in correspondence with
Prince Charlie, and he had the honour of Rob Roy's
name among the subscribers to his " History of the
Church and State of Scotland."
Alan Reid.
858. Cruden, Author of the Concordance
(2nd S., VIII., 173). — The story here referred to is
widely current, and localises itself so variously that
I hear it is impossible now to associate it with any
one place or person. It appears, for instance, in D.
H. Edwards* notes on Edzell, when it fits a Countess
of Lindsay. Kinghorn also claims it, where the wife
of the parish minister was the subject of the attempt ;
and there are other instances of the adaptability of
this gruesome but popular legend.
Alan Reid.
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